


They Said I'm on Fire

by crazhetalia



Series: The Hanging Tree Trilogy [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Child Abuse, Cussing, Death, F/M, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazhetalia/pseuds/crazhetalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They said I'm on fire, they said may the odds be in my favor. But they don't mean it. They just want a fun time with no cost to them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, only Calla Lily Everdeen and any other OC's that may be in this story.

_From the Treaty of the Treason:_

_In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public "reaping". These Tributes shall be delivered to the custody of The Capital. And then transferred to a public arena where they will Fight to the Death, until a lone victor remains._

_Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as,_

_The Hunger Games._

~o~

When my father passed away in a mining accident, my life became routine. Everyday since I was twelve, I'm awake by 3 am. I get dress in blue jeans, t-shirts, brown leather boots, and my father's brown leather jacket. I leave the house and head to the woods, to hunt and gather for two hours, so my family could have something to eat. Then after getting enough game, berries, roots, and herbs, I return home to wake my sisters for school. I make us all breakfast, leaving a plate for my mother beside her while I get ready for work before walking my sisters to their school. I run to the Mellark's bakery where I work from 7 to 6 everyday, including weekends. After work, I head to the hob to trade some of my goods then rush back home to make dinner for my sisters and mother. I help my youngest sister to get ready for bed while getting ready myself. My sisters and I tuck ourselves into bed and I tell my youngest sister a story to help her get to sleep without a nightmare with my year younger sister listening in. I then go to bed myself for the next day, after I know my sisters are in a peaceful slumber. This is my daily routine, it never changes, not until the 74th Hunger Game.

That's when my life goes up in flames.


	2. Chapter Two

Flashbacks - _Flashbacks_

~o~

It was the day of the reaping for the 74th Hunger Game and as tradition, Peeta would meet me in the woods for some alone time with one another before the reaping would start. Unusually, I was always early but today, I was running late. Prim was kept awake with nightmares because today was her first reaping and she was afraid it would be her. Kat and I stayed up telling her it wouldn't be her, that it couldn't be her for her name was in the jar for the first time while Kat's name was in it twelve times and mine, at least forty.

"I got her." I looked over to the other side of the bed, my eyes connect with the identical stormy greys that belong to Kat.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. She nodded and brought Prim to her, tucking Prim's head underneath her chin. "Thank you." I whispered to her, slowly getting out of bed and got dress.

"Tell lover boy, we said hi." I gave her a small smile and rushed out of the house, only taking a few seconds to grab my jacket. Quickly walking down the dirt path, I reach the electric fence that broader District 12 in a matter of minutes. The peacekeepers liked us to think that the fence works but my father showed me different when he took Kat and I on our first hunting trip. I slip through the hole made in the fence and dash into the woods, looking back to make sure that no one saw me. I walked over to the fallen, hollow log that held our bow and arrows. Crouching down to retrieve them to only have my hand meet dead leaves and twigs.

"Looking for these?" I spun around with a bright smile on my face.

"Peeta." I walked over to him. He wrapped me up in a loving hug, pressing his head into the side of my neck.

"How are you doing?" He whispered, I tighten my grip around him.

"Prim, she's so afraid, Peeta. She keeps having nightmares that she's going to be picked for the reaping." My voice chokes up a bit. He pulls away from me and cups my face in his hands, his ocean blue eyes connecting with my stormy grays.

"She's going to be fine, Callie. Her name's only in the jar once, she won't be picked." He wiped my lone tear with his thumb. Peeta pulled me back in for another hug, we let go after a few more moments. He handed me the bow and arrows and we started down the trail that we made together when Peeta was thirteen and I was fourteen. We walked in companionable silence for a while, simply holding hands until I notice some quail in the bushes. I let go of his hand, placing a finger to my lip to tell him to stay quiet. I plucked an arrow from the hostler and notched the arrow on the bow string. I leveled the bow up and pulled the string back until it was taunt, Peeta picked up a rock and lightly chucked it into the bushes. The quail flew up into the air and I released the arrow, hitting one. Peeta let out a cheer before going to collect it. I let out a soft laugh at his childish excitement.

"Let's go check the traps before we go back home." I told him as he handed me the arrow back. His smile dimmed a bit at the mention of home but nodded in agreement. "She hasn't been hurting you lately, has she?" I asked him as I check a rabbit trap which had did its job and caught a nice size rabbit. I went about of untying it, waiting for Peeta to respond.

"No, not of lately." He told me.

"Good." I said with a nod, placing the rabbit into the burlap sack that he had. We moved onto the next two rabbit traps with no luck until the fourth one that had one.

"I think my mother is a bit afraid of you." I let out a chuckle, turning my head to look at him over my shoulder.

"Very good." He let out a laugh as I put the rabbit into the sack. Walking over to a tree, I put down my bow and arrows and climbed up the tree to check on the traps we had up here. Each one had either a plump bird or squirrel. I collected them all and climbed back down the tree. Peeta took the animals from me to put them in the sack. I watched him remembering the day I found out that he was being abuse by his horrible mother.

~o~

_ Kat and I had gotten into a fight that morning about me taking on all of the responsibilities and not letting her help out. I remember shouting at her before storming out of the house and towards the bakery, getting to work earlier. Mr. Mellark had given me a copy of the store's front door key if the back door was ever locked, which it never was. I decided to go through the front instead of the back, so I didn't have to see Mrs. Mellark first thing that morning; only to walking in and watch her smack Peeta in the face. She had hit him on the left side of his face making his head turn to my direction. I could only stare as his eyes widen in shock and horror as he looked at me. His mother hadn't noticed me yet and was about to go in for another hit, which moved me into action. I rushed over and grabbed her wrist in a tight hold, a look of anger on my face. _

_ "If I ever see you place a hand on him like that again, you won't have any hands left." I hissed out my threat to her. I watched in satisfaction as her eyes bulged and her face drained of color in fear. I flung her hand away and grabbed Peeta's arm, dragging him into the back of the store where I sat us down and he told me about his abuse from the hand of his mother. That was the day that we promise to be there and protect the other at all cost. Which was a strong promise for a fourteen and fifteen year old. _

~o~

"Callie?" I blinked a few times, coming back to the here and now. Peeta was giving me a concerned look as he waited for answer.

"I'm fine. We should head back now, I promise Kat that I'd let her hunt with Gale today before the reaping." I bent down to pick up my bow and arrows.

"Alright, what are you going to do with the game?" He asked while taking my hand back in his.

"Spilt it between us as usual, Peeta." I bumped my shoulder into his as we walked back to the village. He bumped me back causing me bounce to the side a little as we laughed. Once we reached the fence, Peeta held up the line letting me go under it first then him. We chatted quietly as we walked down the dirt path until we reached my house. I pulled out a rabbit, two birds, and the quail leaving the the other rabbit and squirrels for Peeta. I placed a kiss to his cheek, "I'll see you after the reaping, okay?" He swallowed before returning a kiss onto my cheek.

"See you later." He said before walking down the path, going back to his house. I watched after him until I couldn't see him any longer, turning I head to the door. Just as I'm about to place my hand on the door knob, I heard Prim scream in terror. I slammed open the door and ran inside, tripping up the stairs trying to go as fast as I could. I had reached the bedroom door when it open revealing Kat. She saw my panic look and grabbed my shoulders.

"She's okay, Cal. She's okay, it was just another nightmare." I tried to calm myself down, but there was no way that this was normal. Prim having nightmare after nightmare about the reaping, something was going to happen and something bad. "I just sang her the Valley song, so she should be back to sleep. You should start getting ready."

"Okay, thank you, Kat. Be careful!" I called out to her as she skipped down the stairs.

"We will!" She calls back then closed the door behind her. I walk into the bedroom to check on Prim and mom before collecting my dress clothes that I wear for reaping day. Going to the wash room, I strip out of my hunting clothes and begin to pour water over myself, scrubbing off all the dirt that I could get. I quickly dry off, pulling on a fresh pair of underclothes then my green button down shirt and brown knee length skirt. I tuck my shirt in then put on some socks and my brown boots. I tried to dry my hair as much as possible with my towel when I got most of the water out, I hung the towel out to dry for Prim to use next. I left the washroom and headed towards the kitchen to make Prim something light to eat. When I enter the kitchen I was met with the sight of my mother at the stove, cooking. Prim was sat at the table, she looked up at me with a sad look that made my heart ache. I moved over to her and crouched down beside her.

"Everything is going to be fine, Prim. I promise." She nodded and reached out for me, I brought her into my arms giving her a tight squeeze before taking my seat and ate the meal mom had made for us. I saw her look around the house, obviously looking for Kat. "She's out hunting with Gale." I said softly. She turned to me with emotional eyes but expressionless face. I winced and turned back to my plate, finishing off my breakfast I stood up and took my plate to the sink along with Prim's plate. I began to wash them, as I was drying them off, Prim went upstairs to get ready.

"Calla Lily?" I turned to my mother, a bit surprised.

"Yes?" I asked her. She walked over to me and took a strand of my buttery blonde hair that matched hers'.

"Would you like me to braid your hair?" I gave my mother a soft smile, she was trying so hard to get better and to get back into Kat's and mine good graces again.

"Yeah, mom. I'd like that." I placed the plates back in the cupboard and covered Kat's plate so that Buttercup wouldn't eat it. Then followed my mom up the stairs to the bedroom where the body length mirror was. I stood in front of the mirror, watching my mom braid my hair. "I missed this." I told her after a few minutes of watching her. She paused for a few seconds before going back to braiding, I smiled to myself knowing I just made her happy for a seconds. We both looked towards the doorway when there was a soft knock. Prim stood there in a white button down and blue knee length skirt. I held an arm out to her, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing her face into my side.

"There." I looked towards the mirror to see that my mom had braided my hair in a half french braid before making a bun with the rest of hair. I softly touched it with my finger tips.

"It's beautiful, mom." I turned around and hugged her, "Thank you."

"You look really beautiful, Calla." Prim told me. I grinned down at her.

"Well, it's your turn now, little duck." I said while tucking in her shirt, she quack making us both giggle. I handed her over to mom and headed to the wardrobe to get Kat's outfit out. After that, I waited until mom and Prim were done and we all headed downstairs. Just as we reached the kitchen, the front door open and Kat walked in.

"Mom." Prim said, we both turned towards her. Kat walks in and crouches down onto her knees in front of Prim.

"Aw, look at you, you look beautiful." She told Prim before moving her hands to tuck Prim's shirt in again. "You better tuck in that tail, little duck." The three of us giggled as Prim quacked again.

"I laid something out for you, Kat." She looks up at me and nods.

"Okay." She heads upstairs to wash and get dress, I send mom up about thirty minutes later to do Kat's hair. Prim and I follow up behind her and watched from the doorway. Once mom was done, she placed her hands on Kat's shoulders.

"Now you look beautiful too." She said. Kat's face was void of any emotion, causing me to silently sigh at her behavior.

"I wish I looked like you." I heard Prim say. I looked down to her and gave her hand a gently squeeze. Kat came over and hugged her.

"Oh no, I wish I looked like you, little duck." The siren for the reaping went off, causing all of us to look up. "Hey, want to see what I got you today?" Prim and I looked back to Kat. She hands over a gold pin. "It's a Mockingjay pin, to protect you. As long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you. Okay, I promise." The siren went off again. I brought both of my sisters to me in a tight embrace. My stomach twisting into knots with anxiety and worry.


	3. Chapter Three

The four of us walk down to the town square, Prim and I hug mom before I take Prim and Kat to sign in. Suddenly, Prim freezes mid walk to the sign in line. I look back towards her and see her terrified expression, I move her out of the way of the crowd of children with Kat following behind us.

"Shhh, Prim, its okay, its okay shhh, okay it's time to sign in now. They're going to prick your finger just to take a little bit of blood." Kat told her as she placed her hands on her shoulders.

"You didn't say." Prim shook her head, eyes tearing up. I turned her to me and brought her into a hug.

"We know, it doesn't hurt much, just a little. Okay, go sit down there with the little kids and we'll find you after okay?" She nodded and we moved back to the line and stood, waiting for our turn.

"Next," Prim didn't move towards the female peacekeeper, the lady made a next motion with her hand, "Next." I gently pushed Prim to get her moving. She moved to the peacekeepers and placed her hand in the lady's. She pricks Prim finger and pressed the finger to the sign in book. "Go ahead, next." I watched as Prim is guided to the twelve year old section.

"Next." Kat steps up next, also watching Prim join the rest of the children and soon joins the sixteen year old section.

"Next." I give them my hand, not looking at them. I was searching the crowed for Prim and Kat but couldn't see them from this distance. "Next." I walk away and join the seventeen year old section. I found Kat and watched her look over to the boy section where Gale was. Then Effie Trinket all dolled up in pink, District Twelve escort, walks up to the microphone and taps it twice.

"Welcome! Welcome, welcome, Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour; now before we begin we have a very special film. Brought to you all the way from The Capitol." She raised her hand towards the screens.

"War. Terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost. And the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victor bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future." I rolled my eyes at Snow's message, that we were force to hear at every reaping.

"I just love that, now the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman. For the honour of representing District Twelve, in the 74th Hunger Games. As usual ladies first." She takes off her gloves and walks to the right side of the stage. She moves her hand around in the jar before picking a name. She holds up the folded piece of paper as she walks back over to the microphone. She opens it up.

"Primrose Everdeen." I froze in my spot, all of my senses went dead for a moment. "Where are you, dear?" Effie spotted her in the crowd and motion towards her, "Well, come on, come on up." Prim begins to move towards the stage. I snapped out of my frozen state when I saw Kat begin to move towards the aisle with frantic movements. I roughly shoved and pushed other girls out of my way, making it to the the aisle before Kat. Two peacekeepers began to try blocking my way to Prim.

"Prim!" I shoved and pushed at the peacekeepers keeping me back, "Prim! No, I volunteer!" I raised my hand and then moved out of the shocked peacekeepers hold. "I volunteer as tribute." I said with a strong voice. Effie looked at me in surprise.

"Oh . . . I believe we have a volunteer Mr. Mayor?" Prim and Kat ran to me. I held onto them tight for a moment, then pushed them away.

"You need to get out of here. You need to get of here, go find mom." I told them, Kat tried to get Prim off of me and go to mom.

"No! No!" She cried.

"Go find mom right now, I'm so sorry." I whispered to them. I began to try and yank Prim's arms off me.

"No!" Gale comes over and picks Prim up and takes her to mom with Kat following behind them. "No! No! NO!" Prim screams as four peacekeepers surround me and walk me to the stage.

"A dramatic turn of events here in District Twelve. Yes well, District Twelve's very first volunteer. Bring her up." I paused at the bottom of the stairs, "Come on, dear." I looked up at Effie and slowly walk up the steps. She places her arms around my shoulders and pushed me to the front of the stage. "What's your name?" She moves the microphone towards me.

"Calla Lily Everdeen." my voice wavers a bit.

"Well, I bet my hat that those were your sisters, wasn't it?" She asked.

"Yes." I choked out as I looked towards the crowd, seeing my mom holding Kat and Prim to her with Gale behind them.

"Let's have a big hand for our very first volunteer, Calla Lily Everdeen." Effie claps but everyone stays quite until they all kiss three of their fingers in salute. I let out a gasp of breath at the farewell salute. "And now for the boys." Effie moves towards the jar with the boys name and plucks a name out and comes back tot he microphone.

"Peeta Mellark." I let out a strangled sob as I watched everyone turn and stare at Peeta, his face full of sorrow and fear. _'Please, someone volunteer. Please!'_ Peeta was escorted to the stage, he walked up the stairs and Effie brought him over. "Here we are, our tributes from District Twelve. Well, go on you two, shake hands." We turned to each other and shook hands, slowly letting the other's hand go. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour." Effie pushed us inside the Justice building.

~o~

I'm standing at the window, looking out it when the door opens.

"You have three minutes." Mom, Prim, and Kat enters. Prim runs towards me and I take her into a hug.

"It's okay, shhh. Prim, it's okay. Shhh, Prim, we don't have much time, Prim listen." I move her to sit on the couch and sat down beside her. "You're going to be ok. Don't take any extra food from them. It isn't worth putting your name in more times, ok? Listen, Prim, Gale and Kat will bring you game, you can sell cheese from your goat." I brush back her hair.

"Just try and win, maybe you can." She cried a little.

"Of course, maybe I can. I am smart you know." I told her.

"You can hunt." I nodded in agreement.

"Exactly." Prim takes my hand and places the mockingjay pin that Kat got her, in the palm of my hand.

"To protect you." My eyes begin to water.

"Thank you." I whispered and placed a kiss to her forehead. I stood up and walked over to Kat, taking her in my arms. "Protect them for me, Kat. You have to be strong now, for them." I whispered in her ear.

"Just come home, Cal." She whispered back. I kissed her cheek and go to mom.

"You can't tune out again." I told her.

"I won't . . ." She started but I shook my head.

"No, you can't." I stressed, "Not like when dad died. I won't be there anymore, your all that they have, no matter what you feel, you have to be here for them. Do you understand?" She nods her head, eyes watery. "Don't cry." I brought her into a hug, "Don't." The door opens again.

"It's time." We all hug each other at once.

"No." Prim started to wail.

"Prim, it's okay." The peacekeepers come in and start to drag them out.

"No! No! No!" Prim screams.

"Cal!" Kat yells. I run after them.

"I promise!" I call after them and the door slams shut behind them. I walk over and quietly turn the knob, opening the door a crack. Peacekeepers were lined up outside, guarding the door. I shut the door only to jerk back in slight fear when it opened. I stared as Gale enters. We embraced. "I'm fine." I told him as soothing as I could.

"Yeah, okay." His voice was thick.

"I am." We broke out of our embrace and he grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Listen to me. You're stronger than they are, you get a bow." He said.

"They may not have . . ." He cut me off.

"They will. If you show them how good you are, they just show that's all they want. If you don't have a bow then you make one. You know how to hunt." I looked at him with wide eyes.

"Animals, Gale."

"It's no different, Cal."

"There's twenty-four of us, Gale. And only one comes out." I was going to make sure that Peeta came home alive no matter what.

"Yeah, and it's gonna be you." The door open and the peacekeeper comes in.

"Ok." I impulsively hugged him again.

"Take care of them, Gale, don't let them starve!" I cried into his shoulder.

"Let's go." The peacekeepers pulled us apart and dragged Gale away.

"We'll see you soon, okay?" And the door slams. I moved over to the couch and sunk down, trying not to cry. I snap my head up when I hear the door open again. In the doorway stood Mr. Mellark. He walked over and sat down beside me.

"Here." He handed me a white cloth napkin, I opened it and saw three double chocolate chip cookies, my favorite. I felt my eyes water as I turned to face him.

"Thank you." He grunted, I tied the cloth again and then, placed a hand on his. "I'll make sure that Peeta comes back home alive." Suddenly, I'm brought into a tight hug and felt tears hit the top of my hair.

"You come back home too, Calla Lily." The Peacekeeper came in to collect him. I stared after him in shock, he turned for a moment, "I'll watch over them while your gone." I nodded and the door, once again, slammed closed.


	4. Chapter Four

A few minutes later, Effie came to collect Peeta and me, taking us to a car that would drive us to the train station. I glanced over to Peeta and noticed his eyes were red and puffy, he had obviously been crying while we were saying our goodbyes. I quickly brushed my hand against his, he looked over. I gave him a small smile which he returned. When we finally reached the car, Effie made Peeta get in first and then her, so that she would be in the middle between us when I wanted nothing but to hold Peeta's hand.

"You two are in for a treat. Crystal chandeliers, platinum doorknobs and it flies. We'll be at the Capitol in less than two days. Now before you do anything else . . ." I gave her a soft glare before tuning her out for the rest of the drive. Once the car reached the station we got out and were escorted to the train. I stepped on to the train first with Peeta and Effie behind me, I watched in awe as the door slid open revealing beautiful wooden furniture with royal blue fabric, shining crystal chandeliers, silver plates with plentiful food everywhere you turn, exotic colored drinks, and hundreds of white rose bouquets in slate vases. We each took a seat, Peeta and I sitting beside each other and Effie across from Peeta.

"200 miles per hour, and you can barely feel a thing. I think it's one of the wonderful things about this opportunity, that even though you're here and even though it's just for a little while, you get to enjoy all of this." We just stared at her in silence. "I'm going to find Haymitch. He's probably in the bar car." She stood up from her seat and walked off, leaving Peeta and I alone. The moment I heard the door close behind her, I launched myself at Peeta. He holds on to me tight in our awkward hug. My shoulders begin to shake lightly as the tears that I've been holding back start to stream from my eyes and stain the shoulder of his shirt.

"Shhh, Callie. Everything's going to be okay." But even as he said this, his voice wavered.

"Peeta, what are we going to do?" I asked him. I pulled away to look at him. "I don't want to see you get hurt or killed."

"I know, I feel the same way." He wiped away my tears with his thumbs.

"Prim's name was in the jar once, how was she the one to get picked from the hundred of others!" I exclaimed in anger.

"Apparently, Effie has amazing name picking powers." Peeta let out a humorless chuckle, my eyes narrow at him. "Have you ever met him? Haymitch?"

"No, but I've heard that he's an alcoholic." my lips tugged down into a frown, "People say that he doesn't care about his tributes and that's why they always die within the first day of the Games. That he only cares about himself and his alcohol."

"Callie, you have no idea if that's true." Peeta reprimanded me, just as I was about to say something the door in front of us slides open. A man with stringy blonde hair and messily dressed stood before us with an empty glass, his eyes were bloodshot making the blue coloring stand out, he lets out a deep breath.

"Congratulations." He walks over to the many colored drinks and picks out a amber colored one, pouring himself some into the glass that he had. Peeta and I watch him as he lifts a lid off a bowel, looks into it before turning to us. "Where's the ice?"

"I don't . . . I don't know." Peeta stuttered out. The man, obviously our mentor Haymitch, slams the lid down and walks towards us with the bottle of amber liquid.

"May I?" He pointed towards the seat, Peeta shifted up in his seat and he sat down.

"Ok, so uh . . ." Haymitch clears his throat, Peeta gives him an unimpressed look. "So when do we start?"

"Woah, woah, so eager. Most of you aren't in such a hurry." Haymitch said with crazy hand movements.

"Yeah, I wanna know what the plan is. You're our mentor, your supposed to go into . . ." Peeta cuts off when Haymitch leant forward.

"Mentor?" He asked.

"Yeah, our mentor. You're supposed to tell us how to get sponsors and give advice." Peeta told him, Haymitch sat back in his chair. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, okay . . .erm. . embrace the probability of your imminent death and know in your heart that there's nothing I can do to save you." We stare at him, gobsmacked.

"Why are you here then?!" I exclaimed, a little angry that what I've heard about this man was coming true.

"The refreshments." He swirls his drink in front of us. Peeta let out a breath which I knew that he did that to calm himself down sometimes.

"Okay, I think that's enough of that." He reaches for Haymitch's glass, and in a flurry of movements, Peeta was kicked back down into his seat with Haymitch's bare foot holding him down. I watched on in surprised shock.

"You made me spill my drink on these brand-new pants." He looks at his drink then us, "I think I'll finish this in my room." He stood up and walked away, going back to his room. We sat there in silence for a few moments before Peeta stood up from his seat.

"He's gonna come around." I looked at him as he walks to the door.

"Peeta, it's not any use." I shook my head at him. He looks at me from over his shoulder.

"I'm going to talk to him." I sighed as he left the room. Peeta didn't want to face the fact our mentor simply didn't care if we live or die. Effie came back a few moments after the boys left. "We met Haymitch. He came in a few minutes after you left."

"Oh." She sat down across from me. She looked lost on what to say.

"Effie?" I asked her.

"Yes, Calla Lily?" I bit my lip.

"Could you show me to my room?" Her bright pink face brighten with glee.

"Of course!" She bounced up from her chair, "Follow me." I walked after her, listening as she rambled on about this and that until we got to my room. "Here we are!" The door slides open and I'm greeted by a huge bed with royal blue sheets and a nice bathroom that had a shower. "I hope you sleep well." I turn back to Effie.

"Thank you, Effie. I wish you a good night of sleep as well." She gave me a huge smile with a little squeal.

"Oh, such good manners!" She cheered as she walked off, the door closing behind her. I laughed while shaking my head and headed to the bathroom. The shower was something I had never seen before, it had all kinds of buttons and knobs. I got undress and undid my hair so that it hung around a little below my shoulder blades. Stepping into the shower, I pressed a button that caused scalding hot water to pour down on me. I jumped back to escape the hot water but hitting another one in the process which covered me in rose scented shampoo.

"Shit!" I hissed out when some of it got into my eye. I blindly reach out, trying to hit a button to cool the water. Finally, I hit the right button after a few tries. The water cools to warm temper and I wash off all of the shampoo. I got out of the shower and dried off with a mint green towel. Making sure my hair was almost completely dried, I redress and walked back into the bedroom. Moving towards the bed, I found a controller and pointed it at the TV. Caesar was on with another man as they made comments on other Games.

"We have two very fit sixteen year olds of course . . . Of course they always provide pretty good opponents." Caesar said to the other man as they watched the two boys fight.

"Yes, yes they do."

"Do you remember this year?" He asked him.

"Of course!" The man exclaimed a little to excited for my taste.

"One of my favourite years and one of my favourite arenas. The use of the rubble in the ruined city, very exciting, and this moment here, this moment is a moment you never forget." Caesar pointed to the screen, as one of the tributes kills the other one. I quickly turn it off before I could see anymore. I stared at the screen for a few moments in silence then turn onto my side, facing away from it. That's when I truly let myself mourn, soon crying myself into a fitful sleep.

~o~

I slowly blinked awake with the sun shining straight into my eyes. I groan and turned away from it, before sitting up stretching. I began to french braid my hair which I had years of practice from doing it myself and for my sisters. I got up and left my room, heading to the dinning car. Just as I reach the door it slides open and I can hear Haymitch and Peeta talking.

"That's a good way to get you killed." Haymitch said as I enter the car.

"What's a good way to get you killed?" I asked him, walking over to the table.

"Oh, joy, why don't you join us." I sat down and rolled my eyes at his sarcastic comment, "I was giving some life-saving advice." I look over to Peeta with a surprised expression.

"Like what?" I asked him, curious now.

"Oh, I was just asking about how to find shelter." He said with a bit of pride in his voice.

"Which would come in handy if in fact you were still alive." I turned a narrowed look at Haymitch.

"How do you find shelter?" I asked him.

"Pass the jam." He gestured towards the bowel. I slowly grabbed a hold of my knife.

"How do you find shelter?" I repeated, a bit darker this time. He gave me a annoyed look.

"Give me a chance to wake up, sweetheart. This mentoring is very taxing stuff." He said as he uncapped a bottle of alcohol and poured it into his coffee cup. "Can you pass the marmalade." I made no move to move it. He sighed and reached out for it. That's when I strike, I stab the table with the knife in-between Haymitch's outstretched fingers with a loud bang. Everyone jumps and turns to look at me in shock.

"That is mahogany!" Effie gasps, but I pay her no attention. Keeping my glare on Haymitch as I brought my hand back.

"Look at you," He said as he pulled the knife out of the table. "just killed a placemat. You really wanna know how to stay alive, you get people to like you." That information shakes me and causes my glare to soften. "Oh, not what you were expecting?" He reaches out with the knife and gets some jam from the bowl. "Well, when you're in the middle of the games and you're starving or freezing, some water and a knife or even some matches. Can mean the difference between life and death and those things come from sponsors and to get sponsors, you have to make people like you. And right now, sweetheart, you're not off to a real good start."

"I can get people to like me." I told him, he just raised an eyebrow at me. Peeta stood up suddenly.

"There it is." I stood up after him and follow him to the window. Buildings and landscaping flashed by us, sparkling in the sunlight.

"It's huge." I whispered taking his hand in mine.

"It's incredible." He whispered back, giving my hand a gently squeeze. Soon, we were greeted by a range of colors and cheer Capitol residents. We could hear their shouts through the window, we slowly lifted our unattached hands and waved at them. This caused them to go crazy, Peeta and I smiled at each other then out to the residents waving more.


	5. Chapter Five

When we got off the train, we were taken to a building before being separated by two groups of three. They guided me to a room that was separated by curtains and began to strip me of all my clothes. Placing a clear plastic dress over me, they told me to lay down on the metal table and hosed me down while using other machinery. The male with orange corkscrew curls and purple lips, I think his name was Flavius, began to undo my hair and brushed it out with treatments. Octavia, a plump woman with pea green skin, works on my eyebrows and any other body hair by waxing and plucking. I make sure to hold back my screams and whines of pain as they do this. Then another lady, Venia, does my nails. I laid there, my hands holding onto the sides of the table in white knuckled grips staring up at the ceiling. I heard mummers to my left and looked that way finding my prep team whispering to each other.

"What are you talking about?" I asked them, they looked over to me.

"We where just saying we might need to hose you down again before we take you to Cinna." Flavius said. They hosed me down again and rolled me into a closed off room, leaving me by myself. The door slides open, a chocolate skinned man walked in. I could barely tell that this man lived in the Capitol, the only thing that was flashy was the gold eyeliner he had on.

"That was one of the bravest things I've ever seen. With your sister. My name is Cinna." His voice didn't have that annoy Capitol lit to it. I sat up and held out my hand to him, which he took.

"Calla Lily." We shook hands.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you and I'm here to help you in any way that I can." I looked up at him with shining eyes.

"Most people just congratulate me." I whispered.

"Well, I don't see the point in that." He leans on the table. "So tonight they have the Tribute Parade, we're going to take you out and show you off to the world." I looked away with a humorless laugh.

"So, you're basically here to make me look pretty." He smirked at me.

"I'm here to help you make an impression." I turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. "Now usually they dress people in the clothes from their district." I make a face.

"Yeah, we're usually nude coal miners." He raised his pointer finger at me.

"But, I don't wanna do that. I wanna do something that they're gonna remember. Did they explain about trying to get sponsors?" He asked me.

"Yes, but it's a little hard for me to play nice with others, apparently." He let out a laugh that made me smile slightly.

"We'll see. I just think somebody that brave shouldn't be dressed up in some stupid costume, now should they?" I shook my head.

"I hope not." I said, truthfully. Cinna walks away and over to a utilities unit.

"Now, I really hate do this and I'm not happy that I have too." I gave him a confused look.

"Do what?" He takes out a syringe and fills it with a clear liquid.

"It's Capitol policy that every tribute be in their term, "Flawless"." I move a hand to my mouth.

"My teeth." Cinna nodded solemnly. Growing up in District Twelve, you really don't have straight teeth or good health. I had a small gap between my two front teeth with crooked canines.

"It doesn't hurt and it finishes in five minutes. I promise, Calla Lily." I fidget nervously as he walks closer but makes no move to inject the serum.

"I just don't want to become something I'm not." I muttered to him. His expression softens, he puts down the syringe and cups my left cheek. My stormy grays connect with his chocolate brown.

"You'll still be you, just a bit different." I sighed and nodded for him to get it done with. He picks the syringe back up, "Now, there'll be a slight pinch and that's it." I open my mouth wide, the need pierced my gum with that slight pinch and then he was pulling the need out. During those five minutes waiting for it to be done, I could feel my teeth moving and shifting around in my mouth. It was absolutely weird. Cinna had me hop down from the table and into a chair that was in front of a ceiling to floor length mirror. I watched as he braided my hair, styling it in hoops with a braided bun in the back close to my neck. "Who did your hair for the reaping?" I looked at him through the mirror.

"My mother." He went to a dress bag that was hanging on the wall.

"She did a wonderful job." I smiled to him.

"Thank you." He unzipped the bag and showed me the contents. Inside was a full body black suit with spiked shoulders and high neck collar.

"I get to wear that?" I asked in awe as I brushed it with my fingers.

"Yes." He helped me into the suit then had me sit back down to do my make up. All he did was put a little blush on my cheeks, some eyeliner and mascara, and a peach colored lip gloss for my lips. The last thing to put on where some black boots and I was complete. "Alright, let's go meet up with the others." I nodded and followed him out. We walked down a hallway until we entered the parade line up. I saw Peeta already waiting by our chariot with his stylist. We were a foot away when he turned around and spotted me. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. I felt my cheek flush, flustered.

"You look amazing." Peeta said with a flush of his own.

"Thank you, you look amazing as well." And he did. He had on the same outfit with his hair gelled to the side. His brow furrowed for a moment.

"Your teeth. They're different." I shot him an annoyed look.

"They didn't pass the Capitol inspection." He gave a little pout while crossing his arms.

"But I liked that little gap between your front teeth." My face went a bright pink while everyone around me chuckled.

"Peeta!" I exclaimed giving him a light punch in the shoulder. Cinna stepped forward and brought out a long tube. Pressing a button on it, the top lit a flame causing Peeta and I to jolt back in surprise.

"It's safe, I promise. It's not real fire. The suits are built so you won't feel a thing." Peeta and I looked at it skeptically.

"Looks pretty real to me." Peeta stated.

"Well, that's the idea." Cinna turned to me, "You ready?" I stared at the fire and then to him. "Don't be afraid."

"Okay." Peeta stepped up on to the chariot and turned to help me up. Soon the front chariots were moving, Cinna lit our suits while Peeta and I exchanged nervous looks. The Panem anthem loud but the crowd louder and we where still inside the hall. We finally meet the crowd beginning to wave and smile at them as they went crazy at our appearance. Even though I had a smile on my face, I still gave them concerning looks with my eyes. I felt Peeta slip his hand into mine, I turn to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, they'll love it." I nodded in agreement. He put our connecting hands in the air. The crowd went wild, the cheers, yells, and screams got louder, they threw small hats and flowers at us while chanting our names. I caught a rose and raised it in the air with a charming smile. Soon, our chariot stops in front of President Snow and our fire went out. We both looked back then at each other, lowering our hands, amazed then turn towards President Snow. He walks up to the podium waving to everyone.

"Welcome, welcome. Tributes we welcome you; we salute your courage and your sacrifice." More cheering. "And we wish you happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour." Our chariot kicked back into life and brought us back to the hall. We turned when we heard applause.

"That was amazing." Cinna congratulated us.

"We are all anybody is going to be talking about." Effie cheered.

"So brave." Haymitch sassed.

"Are you sure you should be near an open flame?" I sassed back.

"Fake flame. Are you sure you . . ." He trailed off as he looked over my shoulder. I frown and followed his gaze to see District Two male tribute staring at me and not in a good way. "Let's, uh, go upstairs." Haymitch place a hand on my shoulder, guiding me away as I continued to stare at the blonde male; well more like glare. We walked to an elevator and all got in.

"So each of the Districts get their own floor, and because you're from Twelve you get the Penthouse." The elevator went all the way to the top with a ding when it stop at our floor. Everyone stepped out but Peeta and I stepped out a bit slowly, staring at everything in amazement. "Come on. So this is the living room. I know, I know, now your room is right over here, why don't you clean yourself up before dinner?" We followed after Effie as she should us to our rooms. Cinna followed me to my room to help me out of my costume and take my hair down. He redid the french braid which I gave him a grateful smile for. I change into a lavender colored silk shirt and long brown silk pants. Sitting down on the bed in my room, I picked up a glass device and point it at the window. I pressed my finger against it and changed the setting to people walking around the Capitol, then to a desert, and then to a forest. I stand up and walk to the window, staring at it until I feel my eyes water and I quickly turn the setting off and placed the remote down. After that I head to bed, too tired to even go to dinner and socialize.


	6. Chapter Six

In the morning of the next day, I got dress in my training outfit and headed to the dining room.

"Are you hungry, Calla Lily?" I heard Effie ask. Nodding, I take a seat and look at all of the over flowing choices. I put some scramble eggs, apple slices, three pieces of bacon, and a slice of toast on my plate. Everyone was conversing with one another and I tuned them out, thinking about Kat and Prim. Wondering if they were eating right and that they were ok, that mom hadn't tuned out and left them unprotected. I sighed to myself, I missed singing and telling stories to my sisters to help them sleep. I jerked my head up when I felt someone tap my shoulder, I glanced at Peeta who nodded towards Effie. I turned her way.

"Yes?" I asked. She sent me a smile.

"I asked what was going on in that head of yours?" I fiddled with my fork.

"I was thinking about my sisters, wondering if they were doing okay without me." I told her.

"Oh, I bet your mother taking great care of them, Calla Lily." I stared at my food for a bit.

"I've been their care taker for five years, this is a new experience for me." I took a bite of my eggs. Effie tilted her head, looking like a confused pink puppy.

"You were your sisters care taker? Whatever for." I stared at her for a moment.

"My father was killed in a mining accident when I was twelve and my mom just stop living. So, I grew up, dropped out of school and raised my sisters by myself." I placed my fork down and wiped my mouth off with a napkin. "Can I be excused?" I got up and left the table before anyone could say anything. I waited in the living room for everyone to finished with breakfast. Haymitch came down first and motion me to follow him with Peeta behind us into the elevator. We were silent the whole way down to the training room, once we got there Peeta stepped out first. I made to follow but Haymitch held me back. I looked at him confused.

"You're a very brave and strong girl, Calla Lily. Use that in the game and you could win it." I look back towards Peeta's retreating back.

"What about Peeta?" I asked him.

"He's just as brave and strong but," I looked at him, "he's more concerned about you coming home then himself returning." I stare at him in horror. I quickly step out of the elevator and caught up to Peeta. Before I could talk to Peeta about what Haymitch told me, our head trainer called us to attention. The twenty-four of us stood in line as we listen to her speech.

"In two weeks, twenty-three of you will be dead. One of you will be alive, who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days, particularly what I'm about to say. First, no fighting the other tributes, you'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. There are four compulsory exercises, rest will be individual training. My advice is don't ignore the survival skills. Everybody wants to grab a sword but most of you will die from natural causes, 10% from infection, 20% from dehydration, exposure can kill as easily as a knife." We all head off in different directions and begin to train. While I was waiting in line, the male tribute from District Two got into a fight with another male tribute over a knife. I rolled my eyes and went back to the training section. I looked over when I heard laughing, seeing the male tribute from District Elven looking up at the ceiling. I follow his gaze to find the little girl tribute in the net above us with the knife in question, I smirked.

~o~

We headed back to the apartment after training and went to our rooms to clean up from dinner. Sitting down at the table, Avoxes began to place plates of lamb, rice, vegetables, and bread down in front of each of us and filled our glasses with a purple drink. Peeta tells everyone about the boy who started a fight over a knife.

"He's a career. You know what that is?" Haymitch asked us. I fiddled with my fork.

"They're from District One, Two, and sometimes Four." I stated, then glanced up when he cleared his throat.

"Well, someone's been doing their homework." my cheeks redden and I looked back down at my plate stabbing a piece of lamb with my fork. "They train in a special academy until they're eighteen. Then they volunteer. By that point, they're pretty lethal."

"But they don't receive any special treatment. In fact, they stay in the exact same apartment as you do. And I don't think they let them have desserts. And you can." The three of us stare at Effie.

"Wow." I roll my eyes and everyone looks at me, "Such harsh punishment, how do they survive? Why if I were them, I'd cause a riot about not having any desserts." I deadpan. "The injustice of it all."

"Calla Lily, enough." I glanced at Haymitch before rolling my eyes again. Peeta glanced at me before turning his attention on Haymitch.

"So, how good are they?"

"Obviously, they're pretty good. They win it almost every year but . . ." he trailed off.

"Almost." Effie said.

"They can be arrogant. And arrogance can be a big problem." I gave him a slow glance at his tone. "I hear you can shoot." I look back to my food.

"I'm alright." I shrugged.

"No, she's better than alright." I shot a glance at Peeta. "My father buys her squirrels. She hits them right in the eye every time."

"Peeta's strong." I stated turning back to Haymitch.

"What?" I ignored him.

"He can throw a 100-pound sack of flour right over his head. I've seen it." Haymitch stares at me with indescribable look.

"Okay, well, I'm not gonna kill anybody with a sack of flour." I turned to Peeta.

"No, but you might have a better chance of winning if somebody comes after you with a knife." I told him.

"I have no chance of winning!" I jolted back in surprise at his yell. "None! All right?" I just stared at him with wide eyes with everyone else. He looks around at us. "It's true. Everybody knows it." He paused for a moment and turns back to look at me. "You know what my mother said? She said District Twelve might finally have a winner. But she wasn't talking about me. She was talking about you." I turned away from him before pushing my seat back and got up. I roughly tossed my napkin at my plate and stormed out of the room, ignoring the calls of my name. I slip into bed and go to sleep for the next day. The next day, I skip breakfast and head to the training area by myself before anyone else was up. The careers where already there, practicing. I watched each one of them from the survival stations learning each of their strengths, already knowing their weakness. When Peeta comes down, he goes to the obstacle course. Just as he was about to reach the top, he paused and looked over his shoulder at the group of chattering careers before purposely twisting himself in the net and fell while the Careers watched on. I leave my station to go over to him while he's groaning on the mat.

"Go throw that metal thing over there." I motion my head towards the spiked weights. Peeta follows the direction and looks back.

"What? No, Haymitch said we're not to show our skills."

"I don't care what he said. Peeta, they're looking at you like your a meal. Throw it." I gave him a stern look. He gets up warily and walks over to the weights, picking up the biggest one. He walks over to the standing point and then tosses it, making it hit a rack of spears a good five meter away as if it was nothing. The careers looked at him with shock before nodding their heads and walked off. I followed after Peeta to the camouflaging station. He sets up all of the paints and begins to paint his arm to match one of the trees. I took up a brush and began to paint my own arm but with realistic flowers just for fun like I use to do when decorating the cakes with Peeta at the bakery.

"I miss decorating the cakes at the bakery." Peeta whispered. I let out a stuttering breath.

"I do too." Suddenly, Peeta's leaning towards me.

"Hey, I think you have a shadow." I furrowed my brow and turned around to see Rue watching us. When she see's that we're watching her, she hides behind the column. Peeta and I shared a look before going to wash the paint off our arms and finished our training for the day.

~o~

We head back to the apartment and had dinner, this time no one stormed out of the room.

"Tomorrow, they'll bring you in one by one and evaluate you. This is important, because higher ratings will mean sponsors. This is the time to show them everything. There'll be a bow. Make sure you use it." Haymitch pointed to me, then towards Peeta. "Peeta, you make sure to show your strength. They'll start with District One, so the two of you will go last. I don't know how else to put this. Make sure they remember you." We nodded, dreading tomorrow.

~o~

As soon as we wake up, we get dress and head to the elevator to go get evaluated, too nervous to eat anything. And as Haymitch told us, we were dead last to be evaluated. I was bouncing my knee in jittery motions as we waited.

"Calla Lily Everdeen." my head jerked up, for a moment I sat there just staring before I stood up and walked to the door.

"Hey, Callie." I turn back to look at Peeta, "Shoot straight." I nodded and left the room, watching the door close behind me leaving Peeta alone. As I walked to the evaluation area, I noticed that the game makers didn't even knowledge my presence. I kept watch of them as I picked up the bow and a arrow and walk up to the game makers, waiting for them to noticed but they didn't.

"Calla Lily Everdeen, District Twelve." I called out to them getting their attention. I get into the archer stance pull back on the string, taking a deep breath I slowly let it out and release the arrow. It soars threw the air and hits the board, missing the outline of the person on it. I stare on in absolute shock while the game makers laugh. I glance back at them then went to get another arrow. I repeat my process and this time the arrow hits the mark. I smirk as I turn around to see their reaction and found that they weren't paying me any attention at all. They chatted with one another before turning their attention to a suckling pig. I tilted my head to the side before notching another arrow and shot it at the apple. It pierced the red skin and flew into the wall. They all turn to look at me with stunned expressions.

"Thank you, for your consideration." I sneered with a bow then stormed out of the room. Knowing that I just painted a giant target on my back.


	7. Chapter Seven

It wasn't till the next morning that the news spread to the rest of the team. Effie came banging on my door, ordering me to get up and go to the living room. Everyone but Haymitch was already there gathered around the TV. I took the seat beside Peeta as Effie stormed in and began to pace.

"Are you crazy!" She spun around towards me.

"I'm sorry. I just got mad." I explained to her.

"Mad? You realize that your actions reflects badly on all of us. Not just you." I clench my hands into fist and looked away from her.

"They just want a good show. It's fine." Cinna said. Effie scoffs.

"How about it's just bad manners, Cinna! How about that?" Effie waves her fan at him in frustration. "Well, finally! I hope you noticed we have a serious situation." Peeta and I looked over, seeing Haymitch walk down the stairs. He looks towards me and gave me a thumbs up. A big smile spread over my lips.

"Nice shooting, sweetheart." He sat down in a chair across from us. "What did they do when you shot the apple?" He asked while laughing.

"They looked pretty startled." I said with a bit of glee tinting my voice.

"Oh, yeah." Haymitch let out another laugh, spinning the chair. "Now, what did you say? "Thanks for . . ."."

"Thanks for your consideration." I told him, snickering a bit.

". . .your consideration. Genius! Genius." He stated with a bit of pride.

"I don't think we're going find this funny if the Gamemakers decide to take it out . . ." We all went silent at Effie's anger.

"On who? On her?" Haymitch pointed to me. "On him?" He gestured to Peeta. "I think they already have. Loosen your corset, have a drink. I would have given anything to see it." I smiled at him. Effie huffs out in annoyance before turning on the TV. Caeser with his blue hair appeared on screen.

"As you know, the Tributes were rated on a scale of 1 to 12 after three days of careful evaluation. The Gamekeepers would like to acknowledge that it was an exceptional. . ." I tuned out his voice, just staring blankly as District One Tributes ratings appeared on screen. "From District Twelve. Peeta Mellark." I tuned back in, now watching the screen nervously. "A score of eight." Everyone gasped with excitement.

"Excellent." Cinna said. "Bravo."

"Peeta!" Portia exclaimed.

"We can work with that." Effie cheered.

"Good job." Haymitch stated. Peeta lets out a sigh of relief and sits back.

"And finally, from District Twelve, Calla Lily Everdeen." Caeser paused and looked at his paper with shock. I sat up rigid in fear. " With a score of . . . Eleven." I stared at the screen with horrified shock while everyone gasped and cheered. All of my senses went dull, I couldn't hear or breathe. I began to shake my head fast.

"Calla Lily." My body began to shake. Everything sounded muffled like I was underwater. Haymitch appeared in front of me, grabbing my shoulders. "Calla Lily!" His yell broke the spell that had taken hold of me.

"No. . . no." Haymitch shook his head confused.

"No what, Calla Lily?" He asked. Everyone was looking at me with concern and worry.

"I'm dead aren't I?!" I sobbed, Haymitch's eyes widen a fraction before nodding.

"Your probably on the top of their list, yes." I covered my face with my hands for a moment then wiped my tears away.

"Well, I'm going to give them a show they'll never forget." I said with determination. Cinna stood up holding his drink out to me.

"To Calla Lily Everdeen, The Girl on Fire!" Everyone but Peeta and I toast. We all went our separate ways until dinner. Everyone was at the table eating but Peeta and Haymitch.

"Oh! Haymitch, you should join us we're having some of your favourite for dinner." I glanced at Effie for a second. Her tone had almost sounded flirty.

"Oh, lovely." I snorted at Haymitch dry reply. I looked over to see if Peeta was with him but he wasn't.

"Where's Peeta?" I asked with a frown.

"He's in his room. Now listen, tomorrow's the last day and they let us work with our tributes right before The Games, so you and I will be going down at nine." I stared at him.

"What about Peeta?"

"He says he wants to be trained on his own from now on."

"What?" I asked, feeling a bit gutted.

"This kind of thing does happen at this point. There's only one winner, right?" I turned to my food, trying to keep the tears back while my heart began to make cracks.

"We should have some chocolate-covered strawberries." Effie said while she waved to a Avox. I rolled my eyes and silently ate my food and maybe a few chocolate covered strawberries, they were becoming my favorite dessert here. I went to bed later that night after talking to Haymitch about the interview that was tomorrow. As I fell asleep it was with a heavy heart and terrifying dreams.

~o~

The morning of the interviews, Cinna came to my room to get me ready. I stayed silent through the whole process, I could tell that Cinna was concern from the looks he would give me in the mirror but stayed quiet for my sake. He did my hair up in a bun with braids circling it. The dress he put me in was a fiery red that touched the floor. He place red, orange, and yellow jewels on my shoulder and down my back to meet the dress like a strap. I spun around a few times in the mirror, watching the flames flare from the hem of the dress.

"Amazing." I turned to Cinna, who was sitting on the couch.

"I don't feel amazing." I told him.

"Don't you know how beautiful you look?" He asked me.

"No." I shook my head. "How do you make people like you?" I questioned.

"Well, you made me like you." I sighed.

"That's different, I wasn't trying." He sat up and walked over to me.

"Exactly. Just be yourself, I'll be there the whole time. And pretend that you're talking to me." I looked at him uncertain. "Or pretend that your with Peeta. Okay?" He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"Okay." I'm taken to a hallway with the other twenty-three tributes and put into line by district, making Peeta and I last. We watch each of the tributes interview on a big screen. Glitter or whatever her name is was first and she went with a sexy approach, then Marvel, Clove, Cato, and so on until it got to Rue. She was dress in a white dress with gossamer wings making her look sweet and innocent, which she was. Then it was Thresh's turn, he went with the strong, silent type. A stage hand came to me and walked me to the edge before telling me to go.

"From District Twelve, District Twelve . . . You know her as The Girl on Fire!" The audience began to cheer loudly. "Well, we know her as the lovely Calla Lily Everdeen!" I began to slowly walk out onto the stage, my heart thumping loudly blocking out the sound of the roaring crowd and Caeser's booming voice.

"Welcome! Welcome!" His voice was muffled. I stared at the crowd as I took his offered hand as we sat down. "Welcome. Well, that was quite an entrance you made the other day." I turned to him.

"I'm sorry?" I asked. The crowd begins to laugh, I glance toward them.

"I think someone's a little nervous." Caeser gives a little chuckle. "I said that was quite an entrance that you made at the Tribute Parade the other day. Do you want to tell us about it?"

"I was just hoping that I wouldn't burn to death." I admitted. The crowd laughed again.

"When you came out of that chariot, I have to say, my heart stopped." I gave him a sweet smile. "Did any of you experience this as well?" The crowd whistles and cheers. "My heart stopped."

"Honestly, Peeta was the only reason I was still standing. I would have fallen over if I wasn't hanging on to him." I giggled. Everyone laughs again.

"Now, tell me about the flames. Are they real?" He asked. I look out to the crowd to try and find Cinna.

"Yes." The audience exclaims appreciatively. When I found Cinna, he gave me a nod telling me it was okay. "In fact, I'm wearing them today. Would you like to see?" I asked Caeser.

"Wait, wait, wait. Is it safe?" He asked with a worried look.

"Yes." I smiled and giggled.

"What do you think, folks?" He asked the crowd. The crowd screams with excitement. "I think that's a yes." Caesar said laughing. I stand up, take a few steps forwards and began to spin. Fire danced from the end of my dress causing the crowd to yell. I kept spinning until the world started to tilt. "Woah! Steady. Steady." Caeser helped me back to my seat. "Lovely. Thank you." We both sat down. "That was really something. Calla Lily, that was something. That was something. Thank you for that." There was a pause. "I have one more question for you. It's about your sisters." He takes my hand and pats it a few times. "We were all very moved, I think, when you volunteered for her at the Reaping. Did they come and say goodbye to you?"

"Yes." My voice wavered just a bit. "They did." He nodded.

"And what did you say to them in the end?" He asked.

"I told them that I would try to win." I swallowed, "That I would try to win for them." The crowd aws.

"Of course you did." Caeser said. "And try you will." He brought my hand to his lips and pressed them onto my hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, from District Twelve, Calla Lily Everdeen. The Girl on Fire!" We stand up, him raising my arm up into the air. The audience cheers. The stage hand helps me off the stage and back into Effie care, which I was happy to be in for once.

"You did it, darling. That was incredible." she said.

"Thank you." I said, sincerely.

"Nice job, sweetheart." We turned around to see Haymitch leaning on a column behind us.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Nice dress, too." I blushed a little. He turns to Effie. "Not yours." I let out a giggle as Effie whacks him with her hand bag, which cause them both to smile at me a bit.

"Please welcome Peeta Mellark!" We all turn to the screen behind us to watch his interview. "Peeta, welcome." We stepped closer to the screen. "How are you finding The Capitol? And don't say, "With a map."." everyone in the crowd including Caeser and Peeta laugh.

"It's different. It's very different than back home." Peeta told Caeser.

"Different. In what way? Give us an example?" Caeser asked.

"Uh, okay. Well, the showers here are weird." Which was true, I've had to have Effie help me every time I took a shower which was fine. She stayed and talked with me while I showered, I told her about my family and in return, she told me about hers.

"The showers?" Caeser repeated.

"Yes."

"We have different showers." Caeser told the crowd. I frowned, of course Twelve had different showers; we didn't even have warm water.

"I have a question for you, Caeser." Peeta said. "Do I smell like roses to you?" Caeser a gave a weird face. The crowd was eating it up. "Take a whiff."

"All right." He agreed. Caeser leant in and smelled Peeta.

"You see?" Peeta asked.

"Yes. Do I smell like it?" Caeser asked. Peeta leant over and sniffed Caeser.

"You definitely smell better than I do." Peeta told him.

"Well, I've lived here longer." The crowd laughs.

"That makes sense." Peeta agreed. They crossed their legs the same way as they sat back while the crowd cheers and laughs.

"Very funny. So, Peeta, tell me, is there a special girl back home?" I bit my lip as Peeta face fell for a moment.

"No. No. Not really." He shook his head.

"No? I don't believe it for a second. Look at that face. Handsome man like you. Peeta, tell me." Caeser pressed. _'Don't tell them, Peeta. Don't tell them.'_ I chanted in my head.

"Well, there . . ." He pauses for a moment. "There is this one girl that I've had a crush on forever. We've been sort of seeing each other for about a year now until the reaping." The crowd aws.

"Well, I'll tell you what, Peeta. You go out there and you win this thing, and when you get home, she'll have to go out with you. Right, folks?" Caeser told him. The audience cheers, Peeta just stares at Caeser.

"Thanks, but I don't think winning's gonna help me at all."

"And why not?" Peeta took a deep breath.

"Because she came here with me." I slowly glared at the screen. He just painted a target on our backs, even if it wasn't intentional.

"Well, that's bad luck."

"Yeah, it is."

"And I wish you all the best of luck." Caeser told him.

"Thank you." They shook hands and stood up.

"Peeta Mellark." The crowd cheers. "District Twelve!" As we walked back to our floor, Peeta came from the other side of me. Glaring still, I grab hold of his jacket lapel and slam him into the wall.

"What the hell was that?!" I yelled at him while Effie shrieks in surprise. "You don't talk to me, and then you tell them that we're dating?!" Peeta stared at me in shock as I kept going. "Is that how you want to play it?" Haymitch grabs hold of my waist and drags me off of Peeta.

"Stop it! Stop it!" He yelled.

"Let's play then!" I screamed at him. Peeta just stares at me.

"Hey!" Haymitch yelled again. I quieted down not taking my glare off of Peeta. "He did you a favor." I scoffed and looked away.

"How?" I asked them.

"He made you look desirable, which in your case, can't hurt, sweetheart." I stare at Haymitch.

"He's right, Allie." I looked towards Cinna.

"Of course, I'm right." We look back to Haymitch. "Now, I can sell the star-crossed lovers from District Twelve. And being in love with that boy might just get you sponsors, which could save your damn life." I stay silent which causes Haymitch to sigh. "Okay. Why don't you get out of here?" He said to Peeta. "Maybe I can deliver you both in one piece tomorrow."

"Manners!" Effie points at me as the three of them walk away.

"Manners?" They all turn to me, I gave them a sharp smile. "Why in the hell would I be nice to the people who just ended my life?" I let out a laugh and shook my head, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" I said in a mock Capitol voice. Then walked away, leaving them all stunned staring after me. I got out of the dress, changed into sleep wear and went to bed. But I couldn't go to sleep, so I got up and walk to the living room. I found Peeta sitting at a window, so I quietly walked over to him.

"You, too?" I asked him.

"Hey." He looked over to me, a little startled.

"Can't sleep?"

"No. Of course not." He looked back out the window.

"I'm sorry I went after you. I was angry, but not at you, at our situation." I told him as I took a seat.

"I know, so am I." I smiled at him which he returned. I stared out the window in disgust at the Capital citizens shouts and screams.

"Listen to them." I whispered.

"Yeah. I just don't want them to change me." I turn to Peeta.

"How would they change you?" I asked confused.

"I don't know. They'd turn me into something I'm not." He said. I looked down at myself and back up at him.

"Too late for me on that part." I sighed, Peeta shook his head and took my hand into his.

"No, your still the same." He told me, but I knew I wasn't the same girl. I had change, not only in looks but my personality too. It was becoming darker little by little and it frightens me. "I just don't wanna be another piece in their game, you know?"

"You mean you won't kill anyone?" He shook his head again.

"No. I'm sure I would, just like anybody else when the time came. But, you know, I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don't own me. You know, if I'm gonna die, I wanna still be me. Does that make any sense?" He asked me. I stared at him, thinking. _'Show them that they don't own me . . .'_

"Yes, it does Peeta. But I have my sisters to think of." He gave me a sad smile.

"Yeah, I know." He stares at me for a moment. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I smile at him.

"See you tomorrow." He gets up but not before placing a kiss on my cheek, and goes to bed. I stay up, sitting at the window watching the crowd below for a few more minutes and then head to bed for tomorrow.


	8. Chapter Eight

The next day, I get dress in black pants and shirt. I french braided my hair and left the room to meet Haymitch. We take the elevator to the roof in silence, until Haymitch turned to me.

"They'll put all kinds of stuff right in front, right in the mouth of the Cornucopia. There'll even be a bow there, don't go for it." I raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" I asked for the heck of it.

"It's a blood bath, they're trying to pull you in, that's not your game. You turn, run, find high ground, look for water. Water's your new best friend. Don't step off that pedestal early or they'll blow you sky high." He told me with jittery hand motions.

"I won't." I told him gently. The doors open before he could say another word. We step out and walk towards the aircraft. Haymitch stops me for a moment.

"Calla Lily, you can do this." He told me. I smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks." he pats me on the cheek and I walk away, going to the plane. When I sat down, a peacekeeper was walking around with a syringe asking for everyone's arm.

"Give me your arm." She told me. I gave her my arm.

"What is that?" I asked her.

"Your tracker." I hissed in pain as she stuck me with the big needle. The lights inside the aircraft go off and we're taken to the arena. Each one of us is taken to a changing room. The Peacekeepers escort me to mine and Cinna greets me inside. I rush to him, he took me into a tight hug for a few moments while I shake.

"Here." He says as he moves away to get a black jacket. He helps me into it, I turn around to face him. He unbuttons a section of the coat, I look down to see the Mockingjay pin Prim had given me. I gasp and look up at him. "Shh." He place a finger to his lips.

"Thank you." I whispered. He re-buttons it and zips the coat up.

"Thirty seconds." We both look up. My shaking starts up again.

"I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, I'd bet on you." He kisses my cheek in a father type way that I almost burst out in tears. He presses our foreheads together, just breathing trying to relax.

"Twenty seconds." I breathe heavily as I pull away and look towards the tube that would send me up into the arena. I look back at Cinna one more time then walk to the tube. "Ten seconds." I get inside the tube, turning around as it seals shut. My eyes widen as I stare at Cinna in fear. He nods to me and my tube begins to rise. I'm blinded by the sun for a few moments, I look around at the other tributes then to the Cornucopia and see the bow. The time counts down from fifty. I look at the bow and then find Peeta shaking his head at me. I look back to the bow then the time and knew I didn't have enough time to reach it and get out of here alive. I get into a running stance as the time gets closer to zero. Then we're running. Most of the tributes go to the Cornucopia, I begin to run away but stop for a moment watching the bloodbath. I see a tribute grab a bag and run off with it, and spot a orange one. I rush over to it, grab it, and run off. Suddenly, I fell to the ground and turn around to see a tribute coming after me. But he falls to the ground and Clove is behind him. She throws a knife at me which I block with my bag, she curses and charges after me. I get up and run before she could get close to me. I ran into the forest hearing the screams of the dying tributes. Not paying attention, I run right into Foxface. We looked at each other for a moment then scramble away from each other, going in opposite direction. I keep running full speed until I see another person and change directions a little bit, only to tumble down a hill. I groan low in pain when I reached the bottom. But I quickly get up and start running again, I wasn't going to let the Careers get me. After I finally get far away, I stop and pant for breath. I sit down on a log and take the bag off to see what it had inside. Inside was some rope, a water bottle with no water, a tarp, some wire, and matches. I jolted when the cannon went off and count the number of times it went off.

"Twelve." I said after the explosions stop. _'Peeta, please still be alive.'_ I get off the log and began to track for water. I finally found a river after a couple of minutes of traveling down hill and fill up the canteen and get a drink. I go back into the woods, picking up a few sticks and using the knife Clove had so nicely given me, I made a snare to get some food. I caught a squirrel in a instant and cooked it over a fire while keeping a look out for anything. After finishing, I stomp out the fire and make haste to find a place to sleep out of the Careers view and reach. I climb a thick oak tree and settle on a high branch. I used the rope to secure myself, so I wouldn't tumble out of the tree as I slept. I hear a faint clicking sound and look inside a tree knob, still hearing the noise before looking away and falling asleep. The Panem national anthem starts to play and in the sky, it shows the tributes that died today. I watch it to see if Peeta's face would appear and sigh in relief when I don't see his face in the sky. I was dozing off when I smelt something in the air. Sniffing, I turn around to look to see where the smell is coming from. I catch the glimpse of a fire in the distance, I rolled my eyes and turn back. _'Well, why don't you just make a sign to help them find you as well!'_ I thought sassily to myself.

"NO!" I snapped my head back around at the girl's scream and cannon. I push myself back into the tree when I hear footsteps and laughter coming towards me. The Careers come out of the bushes joking about the kill they just made. Cato turned to the bushes.

"Hey, lover boy!" I put a hand over my mouth when Peeta come out. "You sure she went this way?" Cato asked him.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He told them.

"You better be." I watched from the tree, my heart cracking a bit more.

"Yeah, that was her snare we found back there." I watched him walk off.

"Are you sure we shouldn't just kill him now?" I heard Glimmer ask.

"Nah. He's our best chance of finding her." I scoff to myself. _'Good luck with that.'_ I watch them leave and then went to sleep, already forming a plan. When I wake up in the morning, I began to head to the edge which was away from any tributes. I find another tree for the night and get settled again, knowing I was safe for now. I jolt awake when I felt a rumble, sitting up I turn to look. To my left the forest was on fire, I quickly undid the rope and jump down from the tree, booking it. The fire began to follow me then suddenly a ball of fire shot at me. I dodged, falling to the ground before scampering back up and ran. Another one came at me, missing me by an inch. A tree fell in front of me causing me to halt and change directions. Another fire ball came and hit a rock causing it to splatter. I screamed in pain as a piece of it got me in the leg. I crawled backwards into a little rock cave to get away. Looking at the burn, I pressed a shaking hand at it before looking up just in time as a fire ball came flying in my direction. I jumped out of the way, only to roll down a hill. I quickly got up despite the pain in my leg and ran through the smoke. I coughed as I choke on smoke until I fell into the river. I sigh in relief as the pain dimmed a little from the cold water. I looked over as I heard chatter to see the Career pack coming my way. I began to wade out of the water a second too late when one of them saw me. They began to cheer and race after me. I scrambled out of the water and into the forest to find a tree to climb. Once I found a tree, I began to quickly climb up it with them moments away from me.

"Where you going, Girl on Fire." I rolled my eyes at the nickname. I had been minutes away from becoming a girl on fire. They all began to chant and yell up at me as I climbed higher and higher. They were all telling Cato to kill me which wasn't going to happen today, I'd make sure of it. He grabs the wrong place and falls out of the tree with a loud thump. Glimmer takes an arrow and fires it at me, missing my by inches. I gasp and turn away, pressing my face into the tree. Cato does the same with the same results.

"Maybe you should throw the sword!" I taunted them.

"Let's just wait her out." We all turn to Peeta. "She's gotta come down at some point. It's that or starve to death. We'll just kill her then." They agreed and set up camp under the tree. I glanced down to see Peeta looking up at me. My bottom lip began to wobble as my heart shattered to pieces and I turned away from him with a choke sob, not only from the pain of a broke heart but also from the burn on my leg. I turned around in the tree slowly to lay out my leg and see the damage better. I winced and grimaced in pain as it pulsed with heat, pouring some of my water on it to help soothe it only cause me terrible pain. I took the sleeve of my jacket and pressed it to the wound, I bit my bottom lip to hold back the screams of pain. My whole body shaking as I did this. I heard something drop into the branches and looked up, I saw a parachute and climb up the tree to it. I open the parachute, inside was a note and a little metal tin. I took the note out and read it.

"Apply generously and stay alive — H" I took the tin out and open it up. Inside was a pearl colored cream, I dabbed my fingers in it and applied it to my burn feeling instant relief.

"Thank you." I whispered up to the sky, knowing that Haymitch was watching. I climb back down the tree after putting the medicine in my pack and went to bed. I wake up the next day and looked down at my burn. It was completely heal but left a scar.

"Psst." I furrowed my brow and looked up into the tree tops. "Psst." Rue was in a tree a few feet a way. She points to something in my tree when she has my attention. I look and spotted a Tracker Jacker nest and look back to Rue. She points down to the group below then to the nest again, making a sawing motion. I nodded in agreement and began to climb to the nest. I take the knife out and began to saw at the branch, trying to go as fast as I could. I got stung a few times before the nest dropped onto the sleeping group. As they begin to scream and run off, I started to climb down the tree only to step wrong and fall to the ground. I groan as I landed, I try to shake off the effects the Tracker Jacker venom was causing me. My world was turning and dipping, I ran into a tree and saw the bow and arrows. I took the bow and arrows out of Glimmers dead hands, just staring at them.

"Run!" I turn as I heard Peeta's echoing screams. "Run! Run!" I watched as three Peeta's ran towards me. "Callie, go! Get out here! Go! What are you doing? Go!" I get up and start to run, feeling everything go topsy turvy and soon I was seeing Caeser Flickerman in a white suite and a cane.

"Not only is it lethal, but the venom of a Tracker Jacker sting can produce powerful hallucinations." I kept walking until I pass out.


	9. Chapter Nine

Singing - **Singing**

~o~

_ Gale and I were chasing each other around, following our father's to the coal mines. When we reached the lift and the other miners, my dad took me into his arms and placed a smacking kiss to my forehead causing me to giggle. _

_ "I'll see you at supper, Cals." He said to me. _

_ "Ok, dad. Be safe!" He chuckled and nodded, heading over to the crowd of miners with Gale's dad. Gale came over to me and stood beside me as we watch one of the peacekeepers release a canary into the mine shafts. Dad told me they did this because if the bird sang it means it's okay to go down into the mine shaft and if it doesn't, that means the bird died from whatever poisonous gas and that the shaft isn't safe to be in. They started to go into the lift which meant that bird had sang and that it was safe. We waved to our dad's as the gate closed and the lift began to descend. Just as we were about to leave, I frown as I felt the ground shake. I looked over to Gale, he had the same frown on his face. Suddenly, there was screaming coming from the mines, we turned around to see a giant cloud of smoke and dirt coming from the shaft. _

_ "Dad!" Gale and I yelled before we were plowed over by the cloud of debris, our worlds going dark. I slowly woke up, my eye lids fluttering trying to adjust to the bright light streaming right into them. I groan and squeezed my eyes shut again. The light suddenly disappeared and I opened my eyes again, I glanced over to find Kat and Prim. They were both staring at me with puffy red eyes, tears already pouring down their cheeks. _

_ "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked them confused. _

_ "Dad's dead. You and Gale were too close to the explosion and got knocked out by some of it's debris." Kat sniffed, scrubbing at her eyes. "I thought . . ." Her voice broke and she looked up at me, ". . .I thought we were gonna lose you too." She sobbed causing Prim to break out in wails. I brought them into the bed and held them. _

_ "Shhh, it's okay. I'm here." I whispered soothingly to them, "I'm not going anywhere, promise." I held on to them for the rest of the night, not noticing that my mother was nowhere in sight. The District had a memorial a few days later, I went up to accept the medal and purple band form Mayor Undersee and took my sisters home after that. Mom was still in the rocking chair staring blankly out the window, I gave her a broken hearted look and took Prim upstairs. My mother had become despondent, in the last few days I had to drop out of school to take care of her and my sisters. Mr. Mellark had given me a job at the bakery so I could make a little money and have something for supper for my family. I began to hunt and gather more in the mornings while the rest of the District was asleep but it was taking it's toll on me. I was only a twelve year old girl, I shouldn't be taking whole reasonable for my family survival but here I was doing just that. I had just put Prim down for a nap when I heard yells coming from downstairs. I raced down the stairs to find Kat yelling at mom on her knees. _

_ "Mom, don't just sit there and look at me! Please say something!" She screamed at mom, shaking her knees. I ran over to her, grabbing a hold of her waist. _

_ "Katniss! Leave her alone!" I began to tug her away. She turned to me and opened her mouth to yell at me. _

_ "Callie, go!" But Peeta's voice fell from her lips. I tilted my head and stared at her confused as she disappeared and Peeta stood before me. "Get out of here! Go! What are you doing? Go!" _

~o~

Fluttering my eyes, I look around at my surroundings and jolted up a little. I looked down at my heads and found bandages made out of leaves on the spots where I got stung. Sitting up a bit, I reached up and pulled the leaf off my next then wiped the leaves off my arms. I looked around for a moment before catching sight of my pack, bow and arrows laying beside me, propped up against a log. I quickly reached out to my arrows, bringing them to me and counted the arrows left. I frown confused when they were all accounted for, I looked from side to side before a moment behind a tree caught my attention. _'Rue?'_ Getting up, I sling the arrows and pack over my shoulders and hold the bow in my hand as I walk over to the tree Rue was hiding behind.

"Rue?" I called, softly like I would with Prim. She slowly peeked out from behind the tree. I smiled encouragingly at her, offering my hand to her. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." She smiled back and took my hand. We hiked a few miles away and I shot us some lunch, cooking it over a small fire. I watch Rue devoured her part of the squirrel showing me how hungry she was. "Here." I gave her my part, used to eating smaller portions anyhow.

"Thanks." She said gratefully as she took it, eating a little slower this time. I let out a small chuckle.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked her.

"Couple of days. I changed your leaves twice." I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a smile full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Rue." I told her.

"Your welcome." I gave her a couple pats before pulling my hand away.

"What happened while while I was out?" I looked over to her as she took a minute.

"The girl from One and the boy from Ten." I nodded for a moment.

"What about Peeta?" She gave a look to her squirrel leg.

"Yeah, he's okay. I think he's down by the river." I raised an eyebrow at her tone, although I was relieved that he was still alive but if we ever met up there will be words shared. "Is all of that true?" She asked me.

"What?" I question pretending not to understand. She looks up at me with a teasing smile on her lips.

"You and him?" I laughed.

"Yes, it's all true." I told her, "What about Cato and the others?"

"They got all their supplies down by the lake. It's piled up in this great big pyramid." I furrowed my brow.

"It's to drag needing tributes in. But it sounds tempting." I smirked at her, she smiled back. That night Rue and I found a place to sleep in a little cranny up in a tree. She snuggled up to my side as she slept but I couldn't sleep so I stared at the sky, thinking. In the morning, we made three wood piles that Rue would set on fire before meeting me at our camp site. "Now this green stuff is going to smoke like crazy, so as soon as you light it, move on to the next fire. Light this one last, and I'll meet you back over there."

"Right." She answered.

"And then I'll destroy their stuff while they're chasing us." I told her, she gave me a small worried look.

"We need a signal in case one of us gets held up." I nodded in agreement.

"Like what?" She looks down at my pin then up to the tree tops.

"Here. Watch this." She sings out a four note tune and some birds repeat the tune perfectly.

"Mockingjays." I whispered, "That's amazing thinking, Rue."

"Back home, we use them to signal all the time." She told me. "You try." So, I whistled out a tune which the mockingjays repeated. "Okay. So, if we hear that it means we're okay and we'll be back real soon."

"It's going to be okay." I promised her, she hugs me tightly for a few moments. "Hey, I'll see you for supper." I petted her hair.

"Okay." We head off in different directions. I run back to the Cornucopia where the Career packs always hide at during each game. This game an outlining District was going to win and I was going to make sure of it. I stayed hiding in the foliage out of their view, watching them. I look to the ground where the earth was freshly dug up and then to the pedestals that the tributes stood on, the earth around each one dug up as well. _'The mines. They moved them around the goods.'_ I thought in realization.

"Guys. Guys, look. Over here. Come on, come on. Look!" Marvel shouted to the others. I turned my attention back to them, watching them point at the smoke in the sky.

"Let's go." Cato told them and then pointed to a boy. "You stay guard and don't move until we can get back." they run off leaving the skinny boy behind. He sat down and did a lousy job of being a guard. Smirking and silently chuckling, I began to slink out of the foliage but still stayed close enough to it to hide me. I watch in surprise as Foxface comes running out of nowhere and begins to hop around the goodies, carefully stepping concluding that my idea about the mines was corrected. She got a pack of things and ran off, making the boy look around and walk off. I took this opportunity to notch an arrow and shot it at a bag of apples, hitting the top of it. I sighed and moved out into the opening a little bit, notch another arrow. This time it hit the bottom of the bag, the apples slowly one by one dropped down the pyramid until they hit the ground. The explosion shot me off my feet and back into the foliage, I landed on the ground with a hard thump. There's a high pitch tone ringing in my left ear as I sat up and saw the destruction I caused. The boy came back looking around at the stuff just as the Career pack arrived. They started yelling at each other before Cato to the boy's head in his hands and snapped his neck. I jolted backwards before scrambling up and rushed away to go meet Rue. I couldn't hear out of my left ear, must of gone deaf from being to close to the explosion because a tight metallic squeal filled my head. I stopped running after a while and whistled. The Mockingjays only replied back so I did it again still only getting the birds replies. I run to try and find Rue, only to find one of the fire's wasn't lit. I stared in horror as I looked around for any sign of Rue.

"Calla Lily!" I turned my head towards the direction I heard Rue's yell of terror. I shot off like a rocket, running as fast as I could to her. "Calla Lily!" I heard her scream again. "Calla Lily, help!" Her voice was getting louder by the moment, so hopefully I was getting close. "Calla Lily!" I reached a meadow and looked around, "Calla Lily, help!" I turned and saw Rue trapped under a net. "Calla Lily!"

"It's okay. It's okay." I whispered to her. I took out a knife and began to cut the net off her. I lifted it off her, helping her up and taking her into my arms. "Shhh. Shhh." I said soothingly as I held onto her tight. "You're okay. You're okay. You're fine. See?" I pulled her back to look at her. She looks up and there's a snap behind us. I turned around while pulling out an arrow and shooting it at Marvel, dodging his spear. I turned back and my face fell, "No!" I shouted. Rue looked down and slowly pulled the spear out of her stomach. She started to sway backwards, I jumped forward and caught her slowly bringing her down and into my arms. I looked at the wound and then soothed her hair back, trying to hold back my tears.

"It's okay. You're okay." I lied to her, brushing her tears away. I kept sniffing. "You're okay." My voice cracks.

"Did you blow up the food?" She asked me.

"Every bit of it." I told her.

"Good. You have to win." I let out a soft sob, a few tears of mine fell on her cheeks. I looked away from a moment and stared at Marvel's body. "Can you sing?" she asked me with a light cry. I nodded my head as a few more tears came.

" **Deep in the meadow,**

**Under the willows,**

**A bed of grass,**

**A soft geen pillow,**

**Lay down your head and close your eyes,**

**And when they open, the sun will rise.** " I sang through my tears as I watch Rue take her last breathe and her cannon went off. I close her eyes and brought her to my chest, sobbing. I rock back and forth with her still in my arms crying my heart out. "I'm sorry, Rue. I'm so sorry." I weeped and placed a kiss to her chilling forehead and zipped her jacket up to cover the wound. Laying her down on the grass, I stared at her with tears streaming down my face. _'I keep making all of these promises and end up breaking them in the end.'_ I go down to the edge of the woods and pick bunches of flowers, walking back over to Rue with them. I began to place them around her body and make a bouquet for her hands. I take a minute to just look at her before getting my things and walk away, but not before I kiss my three fingers and lift then to the sky so that everyone could see my farewell salute to Rue. I snapped my head when I heard a moan coming over from Marvel's direction. My stare hardens as I see him twitch and another moan leaves his lips. Slowly with a huntress' grace, I picked up his spear that had killed Rue and stalked over to him like he was prey. His eyes widen in terror when he caught sight of me, I gave him a sinister smirk.

"Ah, now your properly scared." I nodded for a moment, looking back over to Rue's body then back to him with a lethal look. "Just like she was!" I screamed at him.

"Please!" He cried out in a hoarse voice. I laughed and shook my head.

"No." I pointed the spear at him, "No, you don't get to plead. You don't deserve that mercy." I hissed out and stabbed him in his left leg. He let out a scream of agony, I yanked it out and stabbed him in the right side of his shoulder. Another scream. A stab to his right leg, then left shoulder missing his heart. I tossed the spear away, just watching his pathetic attempt to get away. I pulled out my knife, moving over him so that I straddled him. His terrified look made me smile in glee. "Let's give them a show, hmm?" Then with a flurry of moments, I slit his throat. Some of his blood splatter across my face, I watched his life leave his eyes and his cannon went off. Getting off of him, I wiped my jacket sleeve across my face most likely smearing the blood.

I walked a great distance away from Marvel's mutilated body. I caught my reflection in a small stream. I stared on in horror at the sight I made, Marvel's blood soaked my pants and shirt, it was smeared in thick lines on my face and neck. My breathing began to fasten and my world started to twirl. I leaned on a tree, trying to get my bearings but the panic attack was taking full control. _'No, not here in front of them. I won't give them that pleasure.'_ I moved until I find a dense area with clusters of bushes. I quickly hide in one and let the panic attack wash over me. Sobbing loudly with whimpers of fear and self hate, I curled up in a fetal position. My body gave full body trembles as I squeezed my eyes shut trying to get Marvel's murder out of my head, my first true kill.

"Attention tributes." I glanced up but kept my position. "Attention. The regulations acquiring a single victor has been suspended. From now on, two victors may be crowned if both originate from the same District. This will be the only announcement."

"Peeta!" I said a bit loudly, but not really caring. I untangle myself out of bush and rush to the river where Rue said Peeta might be.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Taylor Swift's songs or anything else. "Eyes open" by Taylor Swift.

Effie tugged on her clove cuffs. When she was younger, she and her friends would play a game when a tribute died in a rather dramatic way. They would take a shot of some fruity liquor. But seeing Calla Lily stirred something in her stomach, and not in the way the shots of her youth did.

~o~

I ran through the Forrest to the river bay and spotting a tiny pool of blood on the rocks. I crouched down and dipped two fingers into it, rubbing them together. It's still pretty fresh, only a couple days old at the most. I looked up a bit seeing another tiny pool a few feet ahead, I followed the blood trail through some bushes and down the river's bank. I walked closer down by the river and that's were the trails ends. I look around for more puddles of blood and take a few steps forward when something grabbed my foot. I gasped in fright and look down, a hand was attached to my boot. I followed the hand to the rock and found a head, it's mouth slightly open and eyes squinted.

"Oh, my God!" I cried. "Peeta!" I got down onto my knees and pulled the rock and moss that he used to cover himself with.

"Hi." He breath out, lifting his head. I moved all of the stuff off of him and took him gently into my arms.

"It's okay." I sobbed into his hair, "Peeta . . . Peeta . . ." I whispered into his hair over and over again to help relax myself. I petted his hair a few times and planted a few kisses before moving back a little to look at him. "Your a mess." I told him in a hoarse voice. I look to the river. "Do you think you can move closer to the river?" He nodded with a little groan. I pulled one of his arms over my shoulder and helped stand up and hobbled down to the river. Laying him back down, I tear a strip of my shirt off and plunge it into the chilly water. I ringed it out then folded it into a square before wiping the gunk off of Peeta's face. As I was rinsing the cloth out in the lake, I spotted the long ill looking gash on Peeta's leg. I quickly tear the hole more and away from the cut. I gently clean it with the scrap of cloth, Peeta grunted and moaned from the pain.

"I'm sorry." I said to him gently, "We have to get it clean." After a few more minutes of cleaning it, I look up at him. "What was it?"

"A sword." I looked back down at it, if anything it looked worse then before. "It's bad, huh?"

"It's going to be fine." I lied. I poured some water on it wash it out.

"Ah!" I flinched back a bit at Peeta's agony. "Callie."

"Shhh." I shushed him, not wanting to hear a single bad thing come from him.

"Callie." I jerked my head up to him.

"No!" I raised my voice. He gave me a shock look. "I'm not going to leave you. I'm not doing that." And looked down again, going back to work on his wound.

"Why not?" I paused for a moment then looked him right in the eye. It felt like years since I saw his ocean blue eyes staring into my stormy greys.

"Cause I love you, Peeta." His eyes widen to the size of saucers, "Even though you teamed up with the Career pack and broke my heart, I still love you. So shut up." I throw Peeta's arm around my shoulder again, we began to stumble down the river until we find a cave to hide out in. I help him lay down on the floor. "Nobody's going to find you in here." I told him.

"They already found me." I look down to his leg. I turn back to him and brush his hair from his forehead.

"We'll just get you some medicine." I whispered soothingly.

"Callie, I don't get many parachutes." I bit my bottom lip for a moment, trying to think of what to do.

"We'll figure something out." I told him, earnestly.

"Like what?" His breaths were coming in gasps.

"Something, Peeta. Trust me." I lean in and give him a peck on the cheek. Peeta just stared at me for a while before falling asleep. I sat by his side watching him until a electronic beeping sound reached my working ear. I turn to the mouth of the cave with a curious look then to Peeta before taking off with my bow and arrows. I loaded an arrow just to be on the safe side and looked around, up on the rocks was a parachute. I climb up the rock and take the basket off the parachute. I opened the basket up, inside was a note and a medium size tin.

"You call that a kiss — H" I rolled my eyes at Haymitch's note and went back to Peeta. He was still asleep when I got back. Sitting back down beside him, I unscrew the tin and saw that there was broth inside.

"Medicine?" Peeta asked in a weak voice.

"No, broth." He reaches out to take it, I pull it back from him. "I'll do it." He let his arms drop down and I gave him a spoonful of broth.

"That's nice." He said, I smiled down at him.

"You feed us once, Peeta." I went to give him another spoonful.

"I think about that all the time." He told me, I looked at him confused. "How I tossed Katniss that bread."

"Peeta . . ."

"I should have gone to her. I should have just gone out in the rain and . . ." I began to shush him, I laid a gently hand to his forehead and sweep it down to his cheek.

"You feel hot." I said softly.

"I remember the first time I saw you." he whispered. "I think I was ten maybe? Or was it you that were ten, anyway it was after school and I was heading to the playground when I heard this amazing voice."

"Peeta, stop." I muttered with a light blush.

"It was you singing while Prim was trying to braid your hair. I've never seen such a patient little girl! Anyways, after Prim was done, Katniss came out of our school and you all went off back home." I stared at him in astonishment for a moment. I had never known about that. "After that, I watched you go home every day. Every day."

"Until I caught you staring one day and asked you if you wanted to walk home with us." He smiled brightly.

"Yeah. Come here. Please." I lie down next to him, my head on his shoulder and hand on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me. "Even if I don't make it . . ."

"Shhhh." I stopped him in his tracks. And we both went to sleep wrapped up in each other's arms.

~o~

Haymitch let's out a weak groan as he set he set his glass down. He rubbed his face as the scene played over again on the screen in front of him. It's all that played now, Calla Lily's brutal killing with the Games on another screen. He reached for a crystal flask and poured whatever was in it to the brim of his cup.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He consoled the blonde girl on the screen as he drowned the glass. He looked at the bottom of his glass and saw a distorted pink blob come towards him.

"Well, that was just a smashing performance!" Effie mused a little too bubbly. "I knew she was a fighter but, oh my, I did not expect this!" She added, tugging at the hem of her magenta leather gloves.

"Yeah, smashing." Haymitch snarked, pouring the remainder of the crystal pitcher into his glass.

~o~

Blinking a few times, I stared blearily at the cave as I slowly sat up and stretched. Peeta let out a pain filled groan in his sleep. I ran my fingers through his hair gently, coaxing him to wake up. I smiled down at him as his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, sleepyhead." I whispered to him affectionally.

"Hey." He whispered back, voice rough with sleep. I continued to pet his soft blond hair even though it was greasy from sweat.

"Do you think you can make it to the river to bathe?" I asked him, he nodded and with my help up we headed to the river. I helped him sit down on the closest rock near the river. "Alright, strip." He snapped his head to me, startled.

"What?!" he exclaimed. I stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"I want to wash your clothes, Peeta." I got out before laughing again as his face went cherry red.

"Oh." He muttered as he slowly got undress until he was left in his underwear. I took his clothes and began to wash them in the river, then laying them down on the rocks to dry out. I turned around when I heard a splashing sound, Peeta was leaning up against the rock in the water washing his hair. After a few moments, I began to strip from my clothes and washed them, laying them out next to Peeta's clothes. "That's a lot of blood." I looked up to Peeta. He had a worried but confused look on his face.

"It's not mine." I told him, slowly he moved over to me.

"Who's is it?" He asked. I bit my lip and undid my hair.

"No ones." I said, he gave a look.

"Callie, who's —"

"Peeta, please. I don't want to talk about it." I interrupted him. He sighed with a nod.

"Alright, alright." I slipped into the water and began to wash my hair. After a while, we got out of the water and just sat in the sun to dry off. I played with the ends off my hair, staring off into space as Marvel's death replayed over and over in my mind. I jumped with a hand landed on my shoulder. I snapped my head in the hand's direction to find Peeta with his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry." I said. He shook his head.

"No, it was my fault. I forgot for a moment that we were in the Games." He replied. I gave him a half smile. How could anyone forget that they're in the Hunger Games, even for a second?

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I just thought for a moment that we were back in District Twelve at the creek, swimming and sunbathing." He blushed for a moment.

"You braided my hair while we were drying off." I remember that day very well, it was the day that Peeta asked me out.

"And you sung while I did so." He gave me that dimple smile I loved. I looked over to the clothes, they were still pretty damp and I didn't want Peeta to get a rash from the damp clothes to go along with the cut.

"Peeta?"

"Yeah?" I moved over to him and sat down in front of him, my back towards him.

"Would you braid my hair?" He ran his hands through my hair to untangle it.

"Of course." I let out a sigh and closed my eyes as Peeta's gentle hands played with my hair. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while. "Callie?"

"Yes?" I asked, my eyes still closed.

"Would you sing?" he asked me with a shy tone. I turned my head slightly to look at him over my shoulder.

"Of course." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

" **Everybody's waiting,**

**Everybody's watching,**

**Even when you're sleeping,**

**Keep your ey-eyes open,**

**That was a true statement. The Capitol and all of the Districts were watching us, day and night, awake or asleep.**

**The tricky thing,**

**Is that yesterday we were just children,**

**Playing soldiers,**

**Just pretending,**

**Dreaming dreams with happy endings,**

**In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords,**

**But now we've stepped into a cruel world,**

**Where everybody stands and keeps score** ,"

We were just children only a few days ago, Peeta and I did have dreams with happy endings but we knew they'd never come true. Not in the world that we lived in but maybe in a world where the Hunger Games didn't exist, they could come true.

" **Keep your eyes open,**

**Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown,**

**Everybody's watching to see the fallout,**

**Even when you're sleeping, sleeping** ,"

The world already saw me breakdown and become a monster. What did everyone think? What was their reactions to that horrific scene? Was Haymitch disappointed in me? Was Effie freaked out? Did Cinna think I was a blood thirsty monster? Did Gale and Kat hate me now for letting the Capitol get to me? And Prim, my baby sister, was she afraid of me now?

" **Keep your ey-eyes open,**

**Keep your ey-eyes open,**

**Keep you ey-eyes open,**

**So here you are, two steps ahead and staying on guard,**

**Every lesson forms a new scar,**

**They never thought you'd make it this far,**

**But turn around, oh they're surrounded you,**

**It's a showdown and nobody comes to save you now** ,"

I wonder if everyone thought I was going to die within the first few days because of having the Career pack on my tail, I wonder if I surprised them with how well I adjusted to the Games.

" **But you got something they don't,**

**Yeah, you've got something they don't,**

**You've just gotta keep your eyes open,**

**Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown,**

**Everybody'd watching to see the fallout,**

**Even when you're sleeping, sleeping,**

**Keep your ey-eyes open.** "

I finished quietly and just in time as Peeta finished my braid by securing it with the hair band.

"I knew it." I turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Knew what?" I asked.

"That the birds stopped singing to hear you sing." I blushed an bright red and softly hit his shoulder.

"Peeta!" We laughed for a bit. I stood up to go get our clothes and helped Peeta redress then got dress myself. We slowly walked back to the cave, I laid Peeta down and picked up my bow and arrows. "I'm going to go get us dinner."

"No, Callie don't leave." I kneeled down and pressed a kiss to his scorching forehead.

"Peeta, you need to eat to keep the infection off. I'll be quick." I got up and left, walking a few feet away but still close to hear Peeta if he yelled for me. My foot stepped onto a twig causing a loud snap and a rabbit shoot out of a bush. I shot an arrow, hitting it right in the eye. I went to collect it, walking back to the cave I collected some fire wood to make a fire to cook the rabbit. I skinned and gutted it, tying it to a stick and roasted it while looking around for any sign of District Two. After it was finished cooking, I put the fire out and went back into the cave. Peeta's eyes snapped open when he heard me rustle around with my pack. I pulled out the tarp and knife, I began to cut the meat off the bones. Peeta slowly turned onto his left side and I placed the food in the middle of us, making sure Peeta ate a bit more then me.

"Thank you," I looked up to him, "for taking care of me."

"It's what you would've done." I shrugged and cuddled up to him, pulling our jackets over us like blankets. "Goodnight, Peeta." I laid my hand on his stomach.

"Night, Callie." He whispered and placed a kiss to my crown, taking my hand into his while wrapping the other around my shoulders.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Cinna locked his studio door behind him. A strangled breath escaped his lips as he sat down at his desk.

"She's just a little girl. A scared little girl." He told a manikin in a partially complete yellow dress for when Calla Lily won. _'She would win,'_ he thought to himself. He choose the light hue because he believed it was the purest color of all. "She's just a scared little girl." He repeated.

~o~

Peeta and I were whispering to each other about our memories of District Twelve when a voice sounded over us. We snapped our heads up to the cave's ceiling, startled.

"Attention, Tributes. Attention. Commencing at sunrise, there will be a feast tomorrow at the Cornucopia. This will be no ordinary occasion, each of you need something desperately and we plan to be generous host." I almost snorted at that but I didn't want to sabotage our chances by being rude. I looked to Peeta.

"Your medicine will be there." I told him. He shook his head.

"Your not going alone." I rolled my eyes.

"Peeta, you can't walk or stop me and you need it." I stressed to him.

"Callie, you're not gonna risk your life for me. I'm not gonna let you!" I stared at him for a moment.

"Deal with it, Baker boy." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why are you doing this?" He demand, tiredly. I tilted my head and leant in, pressing my lips to his. It was our first kiss together and it was amazing, but I wished it hadn't had to happen here in the Hunger Games with Panem watching. Pulling back, I slowly open my eyes and found Peeta staring at me with a loving and astonished look.

"Now there's no way I'm letting you go." I looked at him, exasperated.

"Peeta." I whispered.

"Please. Stay." He begged. I bit my lip while a single tear rolled down my cheek.

"Okay." I nodded, my voice cracking. "I'll stay." I lay back into his arms again. Once Peeta was fast asleep, I moved away and sat up. I watched as Peeta started to shake, his teeth chattering together. His fever was getting worse from the infected wound. Then and there, I decided to go out to the feast and get his medicine. I got my bow and arrows and quietly snuck out of the cave.

~o~

Gale slammed the door when he stormed from the Everdeen house. Raw anger bubbled in his gut and climbed up his throat with an acidic sting. They were to blame, it was all their fault. He tore through the fence and disappeared into the brush.

~o~

Rushing through the forest, I tried to think of a plan but came up with nothing. I hid in the brush, the Cornucopia in sight. The Cornucopia had a table in front of it with four bags on it with each remaining District's number on it. I looked around to see if any of the other tributes were in sight before taking a few steps, only to pause when Foxface ran out of the Cornucopia and collected her bag. Now everyone was going to rush to the bags because of that sneaky tribute, I had to get there first. So, I booked it to the table, pausing for a second to grab the bag and make a run for it back into the forest. The only warning I had was a metallic swish of a knife being tossed into the air before it grazed my forehead. I flew backwards, landing with a thump on my back. Quickly getting up, I notched a arrow and shot it at Clove missing, then another that one missing too. She tackled me to the ground and we fought, rolling around until Clove pined me down holding a knife to my throat.

"Where's lover boy?" She asked. I just snarled at her. "Oh, I see. You were gonna help him, right? Well, that's sweet. You know, it's too bad that you couldn't help your little friend." I glared at her and growled, trying to toss her off of me. "That little girl? What was he name again? Rue?" I began to wiggle trying to throw her off, so I could fight her. "Yeah, well, we killed her. And now we're gonna kill you." She took out a smaller knife and brushed it against my cheek. She was grabbed suddenly and held against the wall of the Cornucopia.

"You kill her?" Thresh asked, his voice low with fury.

"No!" Clove said in fear.

"I heard you!" Thresh yelled.

"Cato!" Clove screamed for her partner.

"You said her name!" Thresh's voice was filled with anger and sorrow.

"Cato!" Clove screamed again.

"You said her name!" I watched in shock as Thresh kills Clove by smashing her into the Cornucopia until her neck snaps. He turns to me after he drops her to the floor. I crawled backwards in fear that he would kill me and leave Peeta to die alone in agony.

"Just this time, Twelve! For Rue." He leaves. I quickly grab the medicine and ran.

~o~

Prim was whimpering in Katniss's arms.

"Sshhhh, it's okay. It's just a game, Prim. It's not really her." Katniss soothed, rocking her little sister slowly. She looked at the replay of her sister's vicious attack. Granted, the boy was malicious but Callie, Callie wasn't. The girl on the screen was in no way like her mothering sister.

~o~

Walking down the entrance into the cave, I put my bow down and knelt down next to Peeta.

"Peeta, I got the medicine." I spoke quietly to him as he woke up.

"What happened to you?" He asked as he took my head into his hands.

"You should see the other guy." He tilted my head to look at the cut better. "I'm okay."

"No, you're not. What happened?"

"Clove threw a knife. I'm fine." I unpacked the bag, not only finding the medicine but food also.

"You shouldn't have gone. You said you weren't gonna go." I took the tin of medicine and uncapped it.

"You got worse." I stated. I dipped a finger into the lavender colored goop and began to smear it on Peeta's wound. He grabbed ahold of me, groaning in pain as I make sure it's fully covered. "I'm sorry." I whispered.

"You need some of that, too." I shook my head.

"I'm fine, Peeta." I kept covering the wound.

"That feels better." He sighed with relief. "Okay. Now you."

"Peeta." I looked at him a little annoyed.

"No, come on, you need it, too." I sighed and handed him the medicine.

"Alright." I leant in. He took some of the goop and began to spread it with his thumb. His hand resting on the rest of my head as we stared into each other's eyes. I gave him a slight smile after he dropped his hand. After that, we spilt the food up into half's and ate before falling to sleep. I woke up first the next day and looked up at Peeta.

"Hi." I whispered with a smile. His eyes widen in shock when he looked at my forehead.

"Oh. You're so much better." I quickly sat up to look at his leg and gasped in shocked.

"Peeta!" I placed a hand on his leg. The wound was almost healed.

"I hardly feel anything." he told me.

"We could go home." I said and we looked at each other. "We could. We're the only team left."

"We could go home." We laughed and hugged each other. Packing up our things, we headed into the woods towards the Cornucopia. "We know Thresh took off. Cato's gonna be by the Cornucopia." We wadded through the river. "He's not gonna go someplace he doesn't know. Foxface, she could be anywhere." Hiking through another part of the forest, I look around at the plants and trees.

"We should hunt here." I stopped and turned to Peeta. "We don't have any food let."

"Okay. Uh . . . I'll take the bow." I look at him surprised at his comment. I tried to teach him how to used the bow and arrows before, and he was terrible at it. A smile began to lit his face, "I'm just kidding. I'll go pick some stuff." He said with a chuckle before walking off. A big smile spread across my lips as I went to hunt. As I'm hunting, I aim at a hawk in the trees when a cannon went off. I jolted in fright, bring my bow down.

"Peeta?" I called as I ran back to the meeting spot. I stopped and looked around, on the ground was his jacket with a pile of berries on it. I went over and took a close look at them. _'Nightlock!'_ My father had taught me about nonpoisonous plants and poisonous plants at an early age. I raced through the woods, calling out to Peeta to answer me. "Peeta!" After screaming his name, I ran right into him.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, out of breath.

"I heard the cannon. I thought . . ." I half sobbed.

"No." I look down at his hands.

"That's nightlock, Peeta!" I knock the berries out of his hands. "You'd die before it reached your stomach!"

"I didn't know." I let out a loud sob.

"You scared me to death." I cried, hugging him tightly while shaking with fright.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." After I calmed down, we walked a little ways and found Foxface dead with nightlock berries in her hand and stained around her mouth. "I never even knew she was following me."

"She was clever, just like a fox." I said, crouching down.

"Too clever." I take the remaining berries. "What are you doing?" I look up at him.

"Maybe Cato likes berries too." I said simply and we went back to hunting and ate, then walked through the forest. It started to become dark, we both looked up at the sky confused and worried.

"What time is it?" Peeta asked me.

"Just a little after noon." We looked at each other.

"Why is it getting so dark?" I bit my lip.

"They're trying to end the game, and fast." We walked as silently as we could through the darken woods, there was a faint growl to our right.

"Did you hear that?" Peeta asked. I didn't say anything and kept walking. We kept turning around in circles as we heard noises all around us. I had an arrow ready, pulling back on the string slightly. Suddenly, we heard loud animal grunts and froze in our spots. We spun around in fright when we heard screaming in the distanced. "What was that?" Peeta looked to me, anxious.

"It's the finale." I told him with devastation. A cannon goes off and the anthem plays, in the sky is a picture of Thresh. "Let's go." I look back and forth trying to find where the soft growling is coming from. Drawing the arrow back until it was taunt, I crept forward slowly with Peeta behind me. We went in circles as the animal walked around us, until it was silent. I lowered my bow, Peeta leaned forward staring into the darkness when there was a loud roar. A giant dog jumped out of the dark and attacked Peeta. I shot my arrow at it causing it to roll off of Peeta. He got up quickly and we booked it, heading towards the Cornucopia. The thing right behind us. I looked back slightly to check on Peeta.

"Go!" He yelled. I could see the Cornucopia in the distant, I started to run a little faster. Just as I was about to reach it, I look back to find Peeta a few feet behind. "Climb, Callie!" I nodded and climbed up, then turned around to help him up. I reached down to him and he took a hold of my hand. I began to pull with all of my might when Peeta cried out in pain. I almost went overboard from the weight of Peeta and the mutt that had him.

"Kill it, Peeta!" I screamed to him. He did and I yanked him up. I'm shooting my arrows at the muttations, my supple of arrows dwindling when I feel Peeta be yanked from my side. I looked over and watched as Cato tosses him to the side and comes after me. He pushes me to the ground, banning my head against the metal of the Cornucopia. I backed away from him, Peeta gets up and tackles him down. I go over to help and Cato pushes Peeta into me causing us to fall. He throws Peeta away from me and hits him in the stomach. I stand up and charge Cato, dodging and ducking his swinging sword. I grab ahold of him and try to knock him down but he's much to stronger then me and bigger. He slams me back down and begins to choke me. I claw at his hands to try and remove them. The mutts snapping at my hair. Cato is lifted off of me and tossed into the air by Peeta, away from me. I gasp for breath as Peeta and Cato fight each other. I reach for my bow and place my second to last arrow on it, aiming it at Cato. I was close to releasing it when I saw Cato put Peeta into a headlock.

"Go on, shoot. And we'd both go down and you'd win." I hesitated. "Go on. I'm dead anyway! I always was, right? I didn't know that until now. Isn't that what they want, huh?" I get ready to shoot but Cato holds Peeta tighter, placing his hands around his head that could easily snap his neck. "No! I could still do this. I could still do this. One more kill. It's the only thing I know how to do. Bring pride to my District. Not that it matters." At that moment, Peeta mouthed shoot and tapped at the middle of Cato's hand. I released the arrow hitting my target. Peeta punched Cato then pushed him off the Cornucopia. He fell with a loud thump and the mutts attacked, his screams and moans loud until they dragged him into the Cornucopia. I rushed over to Peeta to inspected his leg. His leg was bleeding heavily, I took my jacket off and shirt. I began to make a tourniquet just under his knee, using my last arrow to tighten it. Using my jacket, I cover the rest of the wound with it. He could lose his leg if the mutts don't kill Cato soon. I watched Peeta as we waited for the cannon to go off but it never did.

"Why don't they kill him?" I asked.

"You know why." I look over to Peeta. "Callie, just shoot him."

"My last arrow is in your tourniquet." He took the arrow out and tied it as tightly as he could.

"Make it count." I took the arrow and went to the mouth of the Cornucopia. Leaning over, I shot the arrow, hitting my target and the cannon went off. Believing we won, Peeta and I embraced tightly. The arena began to turn back to day again, I hopped down from the Cornucopia turning to help Peeta down. We waited for confirmation that we were the victors of the game.

"Attention. Attention, Tributes. There's been a slight rule change. The previous revision allowing for two victories from the same District has been revoked. Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck. And may the odds be ever in your favor." On hearing this we looked at each other.

"Go ahead." Peeta nodded to my bow. I looked at him with sorrow but also enraged. "One of us should go home. One of us has to die, they have to have their victor." I shook my head.

"No." I throw down my bow and walk towards Peeta. "No, they don't." I take out the nightlock from my pocket. _'This is how I'll show them that they don't own us.'_

"No!" Peeta exclaimed and moved to toss them out of my hand. I caught his wrist and stared into his ocean blue eyes.

"Trust me." I give Peeta half of the berries.

"Together?" He asked. I nodded.

"Together." He took a deep breath.

"Okay. One." We stared into each others eyes, trying to remember every detail about the other.

"Two." I whispered. Peeta raised a hand and touched my hair, maybe for the last time.

"Three." We went to move our hands to our mouth.

"Stop!" We paused and looked up. "Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games." I grabbed onto Peeta with relief as a aircraft came to get us. As soon as we got inside the craft, we both passed out from exhaustion and blood loss.


	12. Chapter Twelve

I woke up with a startled gasp, there were tubes in my arm hooked up to a wall. My scars were lest prominent, I went to brush my hair back only to freeze in shock. I did it again, my hearing was back! A Avox came in and gave me dinner then left, I slowly ate the broth but nothing else. I looked around for Peeta. I began to struggle to get out of the bed to go find Peeta and then Cinna, but a cold liquid is shot into my vein and I black out. This happens multiple times even though I don't attempt to leave the bed again. When I semi-entered the land of the living, I swear I could hear a man yelling. _'Haymitch?'_ I thought before going back under again. Then, finally I wake up fully. Free of tubes and restraints, I look down at the bed to see my arena outfit. I glared at it for a moment before getting dress and headed out into a empty hallway filled with closed doors. I started walking down the hallway, looking at every door willing them to open and show Peeta. I started to shake with anxiousness.

"Peeta!" I called. I turned when I heard my name be called but not by the person I wanted to hear. In front of me in one of the rooms was Effie, Haymitch and Cinna. I stared at them for a moment before letting out a sob and ran to them. Surprising us all, I launched myself into Haymitch's arms first letting out whole body wreaking sobs. Haymitch held on to me tight while placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"Nice job, sweetheart." He whispered, for once not being sarcastic. Effie was teary as she petted my hair when I hugged her next. I turned to Cinna and he pulled me into a tight embrace, not saying a word.

"Peeta? Where's Peeta?" I asked them. "He's alive, right?" I asked, scared out of my wit.

"He's fine." Haymitch told me. I nodded and let Cinna walk me out of the room with a protective arm around my shoulders. We headed to the elevator and went all the way up to the floor that Peeta and I stayed at. Flavius, Venia, Octavia greeted us with excitement and brought me into a group hug. I laughed slightly as they talked way to fast for me to understand. We had dinner then they took me to my old room.

"They did a whole body polish on you." I turned to Flavius, "Not a flaw left." I looked back into the mirror. It was true, all of my scars were gone but I was skinny, so skinny I could count my ribs. They helped me with the shower then did my hair, nails, and makeup. Soon, Cinna came back in with a yellow dress.

"What, no 'Girl on Fire' today?" I asked him.

"No." He smiled and helped me into the dress. I frown as I noticed padding around the breast and hip area. "Now before you get mad, they wanted to surgically add that padding. But Haymitch fought with them and this was the compromise." I sighed and nodded. He handed me some white heels and I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress looked like a glowing candlelit; bright, girly, and innocent. Three things, I didn't feel, three things I wasn't anymore. I was beginning to realize that we were in trouble with the Capitol higher powers. I turned when there was a knock at the door, Haymitch was motioning for me to follow him. He led me to the roof where we wouldn't be heard.

"They're not happy with you." He told me first thing.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because you showed them up." I turned to him. "Calla Lily, this is serious. Not just for you. They don't take these things lightly."

"I need him, Haymitch. I need Peeta." My eyes water. "Living a life without him is unthinkable for me. I would rather be dead then live without him." He pulled me into another hug.

"I know. Tell them that if they ask, do you understand?" I nodded. He takes me to the stage where we'll have our interview with Caesar. I was left by myself in a circle metal holding area while, both of our styling teams were introduced, then Cinna and Portia, next was Effie and lastly, Haymitch. I was raised up and onto the stage, the crowd cheering loudly. I looked at them for a moment then looked to the left side of the stage.

"Peeta." I thought I had whispered but Peeta's head snapped towards me. I took a few steps before launching myself into his arms. "Peeta!" I cried. He hobbled for a second, almost losing his balance. I saw that he had a metal like cane in his hand. I looked up at him confused but he just gave me that handsome smile of his. I placed a hand on his cheek as he leant down and pressed our lips together. I let out a sigh as my eyes fluttered shut. We did this for almost ten minutes until Caesar tapped Peeta on the shoulder, only to be pushed away making the crowd go wild. When we finally separated, Peeta stared at me for a minute.

"I never got to tell you." I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked.

"I love you too." My eyes widen before a bright smiled took over my face. I pulled him into another kiss that had the crowd wolf whistle and cat call. We went to the small love seat they provided after we were gently shoved by Haymitch. Once Peeta was seated, I tossed my legs over the top of his and placed my head on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around me holding me tight. We reviewed the Games, watching the other twenty-two tributes deaths again. When it got to Rue's death, they skipped me putting flowers around her and straight to me torturing Marvel. I felt myself grow stiff as I watched myself become a monster. Peeta's arms tighten around me when I shook slightly.

"Calla Lily, how did you feel at this moment?" Caesar asked me, pausing when I was about to slice Marvel's throat open.

"Anger," I started while staring at the screen, "hurt, and sorrow. So much sorrow." He nodded and played it again.

"How did you feel when you found Peeta by that river?" I looked at Peeta for moment.

"Like the happiest person in the world." I said honestly, "I couldn't imagine my life without him." Peeta gave me a smile.

"And what about you, Peeta?"

"She saved my life." He told Caesar.

"No, we saved each other." I moved my legs and we stood up with Caesar.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the star-crossed lovers, from District Twelve. This year's victors, of the 74th annual Hunger Games!" The crowd went insane as President Snow came onto the stage with our crowns. He picked up a crown and walked over to me, placing it on my head.

"Congratulations." he said.

"Thank you." He glances down and see's my Mockingjay pin.

"What a lovely pin."

"Thank you. It's from my District." I told him.

"They must be very proud of you." I gave him a confused look as he crowned Peeta and then left. We were rushed back to our floor and fed again. While we were eating, a Peacekeeper came and asked for me. Peeta and Haymitch began to rise from their seat but stopped when the Peacekeeper told them that President Snow wanted to see me alone. I nodded and got up, placing a loving hand on Peeta's shoulder before stepping into the elevator. I followed the Peacekeeper until he stopped at a double door. He opened the door and I stepped inside to find Snow waiting for me on the other side.

"You must be wondering why I asked for you?" He asked me.

"Yes, sir." I said politely. He moved to stand right in front of me.

"I have an offer for you, but if you refuse it the consequences would be deadly." My eyes widen slightly at the threat.

"What is your offer, sir?" I asked him with a slight wave in my voice.

"For you to offer yourself and time when you are in the Capitol to any citizen that wishes for your presence." I went rigid. He wanted me to whore myself out to the Capitol, if I didn't something worse could happen. He stared at me as he waited for me to answer.

"I accept." He gave me a snake like smile and sent me back to the Peacekeeper, who took me back to my friends. I walked out of the elevator in a state of shock, only snapping out of it when Peeta called my name. They were all still in the dinning room but I wasn't hungry anymore.

"What did he want, sweetheart?" Haymitch asked.

"For me to . . . to prostitute myself whenever we're in the Capitol." They all stared at me in horror before Haymitch threw a plate and stormed out of the room. I watched him go with tears running down my cheeks.

"Callie." Peeta called, his voice full of pain. I went straight to him. He took me into his arms and held onto me tight.

"I couldn't say no, Peeta. He could of killed you or our families if I refused. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I cried into his chest. That night, I went to bed with Peeta for comfort and protection. When he showed me his metal and plastic leg, I went into another round of tears before calming down enough to get to sleep. In the morning, we got ready for the train and went home. Holding hands, Peeta and I stepped off the train watching the crowd welcome us home. I found my family in the back of the crowd, even though they smiled at me, I couldn't smile back.

My world had change the moment I took that first step on that train. I went to a place where they got off from children killing other children. Something had to change, this life we all lived couldn't continue any longer.

They said I'm on fire. So, it's time I set the world aflame.


End file.
